Former Homeless Teen Mother Leads Battle Against Furniture Poverty

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Housing instability stretches beyond simply having a roof over your head. One woman in Harford County has taken this issue to heart and strives to help individuals and families facing furniture poverty.

Furniture poverty affects 3 in 10 people nationally, and has left a lasting impact on at least six in 10 people. Alicia Hamilton, founder of Fresh Start Furnishings in Harford County, which last month announced it would merge with Inner County Outreach to become one of its programs and further help area families, told Patch that her own childhood included furniture poverty.

She was an orphan and navigated poverty, abuse and homelessness as a teen mother. Her life experiences empowered her desire to help others seeking to establish a stable life, Hamilton shared.

After carving out a solid start in adulthood, Hamilton first worked professionally with youth in foster care and reflected on one young woman who, in 2014, transitioned from foster care to adulthood. The woman, named Stormy, moved into her first apartment with only a twin mattress, a pile of clothes that sat on the floor and a $300 gift card to a store.

"Furniture is not cosmetic; it is a universal, basic need."

Alicia Hamilton

Hamilton couldn't believe how the young woman was treated, so she rallied the community to help and in two weeks' time, a truckload of furniture and housewares creatively converted Stormy’s empty apartment into a warm, comfortable space she could actually call home.

"Many households are living without beds, tables, dressers and other basic household items, creating a barrier to housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency," Hamilton told Patch.

Fresh Start Furnishings' origin

Stormy's experience, coupled with her own, inspired Hamilton to partner with local ministry volunteers Evelyn McSorley and Mildred Hopkins to form Found in Faith Ministries, which eventually became known as Fresh Start Furnishings.

What began as stacks of furniture in an old house grew into a tax-exempt nonprofit meeting the needs of thousands across Harford County.

With a goal of transforming empty houses into homes, Fresh Start Furnishings at Inner County Outreach aims to highlight furniture poverty as a foundational issue and address how it affects housing stability, family well being and their long-term success, Hamilton told Patch.

“Home is more than four walls and a roof,” Hamilton said. “A bedroom without a bed, a living room without a sofa, a kitchen without a table — that’s not just an inconvenience; it destabilizes the very foundation of a person’s life. Furniture is not cosmetic; it is a universal, basic need."

In 2025, 574 families applied for assistance, but only 269 households were served due to limited staff, space and funding through Fresh Start Furnishings. Hamilton shared with Patch that 95% of clients report improved quality of life after receiving furniture.

Helping more through merger

The partnering of Fresh Start Furnishings and Inner County Outreach aligns complementary strengths, Hamilton noted: Fresh Start Furnishings’ community engagement, volunteer mobilization and workforce development opportunities paired with ICO’s established infrastructure, diversified programming and long-standing county partnerships, Hamilton explained. Now they focus on clients in both Harford and west Cecil counties.

“When families come through our doors, their needs rarely exist in isolation,” said Natalie Johnson, chief operating officer of ICO. “If a family needs furniture, they may also be experiencing food insecurity, mental health challenges or family disruption. Integrating Fresh Start Furnishings strengthens our ability to respond comprehensively and strategically.”

“Home is more than four walls and a roof.”

Alicia Hamilton

Who has Fresh Start Furnishings helped over the years?

Many clients have approached Hamilton after becoming homeless due to medical bills piled up from cancer treatments, she told Patch. A veterans hospital sends many referrals her way for assistance to help the veterans become stably housed.

"There was a single mom who came to us because she was crying over having to get a double mastectomy in the living room and forgot she was cooking and her house burned down," Hamilton told Patch. "We've helped not just tons of people in recovery, but supplied several local recovery houses with the furnishings they needed to open their program."

Fifty-three percent of the clients Fresh Start Furnishings helps are children. The organization receives dozens upon dozens of referrals from Child Protective Services every year and specific furniture items are required by CPS in order for families to reunite, Hamilton said.

"We also receive referrals from the Department of Social Services who are assisting in transitioning foster youth that are aging out of the system with very little support," she noted.

July through September tends to see a greater number of requests, Hamilton told Patch, due primarily to the housing program funding being renewed.

"Nonprofits and agencies including those who assist with security deposits and first month's rent fiscal calendar's run July through June. Money for assistance often runs low or out between January and June, so when new funds come in, housing programs are able to assist again," she explained.

How you can help

The furniture showroom is located at 1050 Hardees Drive, Suite B, in Aberdeen. Client services are provided by appointment only, once an application has been approved. Fresh Start Furnishings accepts donation drop-offs on a weekly basis and offers donation pick-up options, as well.

The furniture in biggest demand includes mattresses and box springs (no kings), dressers, sofas and loveseats, dining tables and chairs, microwaves, bed sets (no kings) and metal bed frames, Hamilton said.

"We don't just give people furniture, we give them dignity. Please only donate items that you would give to personal family and friends," Hamilton emphasized.

Anyone interested in donating furnishings or home goods to Fresh Start Furnishings can visit their website.

Anyone interested in donating to their campaign can visit this link. There's also a donation wishlist.

For more information, visit freshstartmd.org.