Center City: Donating and Recycling

https://vimeo.com/18393808]

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Recycling has recently become one of the most conscious sustainability efforts. People can easily toss a plastic bottle or a cardboard cup into a receptacle, but what about a piece of furniture?

The answer is simple – donate it.

Uhuru Furniture, located at 1220 Spruce St., is helping Philadelphia go green by collecting used furniture and selling it at affordable prices, all in an effort to help the African People’s Education and Defense Fund. The community-based program helps in the education and economic development of African Americans. All of the profits made at Uhuru Furniture go directly to the fund.

Ruby Gidelson, the marketing and volunteer coordinator for Uhuru Furniture, explained how Uhuru is different than a charity store.

“It’s an economic development project of the African People’s Education and Defense Fund,” said Gidelson. “So when you shop at Uhuru Furniture you’re literally supporting programs for economic development and self reliance in the hands of the African community.”

Uhuru offers a variety of furniture to purchase at reasonable prices. The store has everything, from leather couches and coffee tables, to pianos and dishware. The small store is literally packed floor to ceiling with lightly used items. New items are received each day, so their inventory is going through a constant change.

“It’s totally ecological in that stuff is being reused,” said Gidelson. “Plus, it’s better stuff than what you can buy if you buy it in a new store.”

Uhuru makes donating furniture an easy process. Just call, set up a time, and the store’s staff will pick up the donation at no cost to the donor. And it is tax deductible.

Uhuru Furniture in Philadelphia is just one way APEDF raises money. Other stores, as well as community centers and wellness centers, can be found in Florida and California. Philadelphia’s store is just one step in the right direction.

“They contribute tremendously helping to provide for African communities and our programs,” said Janice Kant, administrator of APEDF. “Their contributions impact all of the programs and the transition of the economic development of the community.”

The contributions from Uhuru Furniture, as well as other APEDF programs, all rely on volunteers.

“We survive on volunteers,” explained Kant. “We’re proud that we only spend a small percentage on staying open.”

By selling recycled products and through support of volunteers, Uhuru Furniture is green in just about every way.

“Everything is 100 percent green, 100 percent recycled,” said Gidelson. “All of this furniture would have gone into a landfill somewhere.”