A place to sit, a place to sleep, a reason to hope
Renewed Hope Home Furnishings is meeting basic needs with generosity and grace, supported by the Everence Sharing Fund
Most people don’t enjoy moving furniture.
But for the volunteers of Renewed Hope Home Furnishings, the act of bringing secondhand furniture into an empty home is a rewarding task – and something they choose to do on a weekly basis.
Started in 2021, Renewed Hope works to provide in-need residents of Poweshiek County, Iowa, with furniture. The nonprofit is a ministry of Grinnell Friends Church in Grinnell, Iowa. It operates entirely through donations and volunteers, and recently received a Sharing Fund grant from Everence to help with operational costs.
Within the last year, Renewed Hope’s outreach has seen tremendous growth. In 2024, more than 156 people donated furniture items and 261 people received furniture. In its first year, Renewed Hope received furniture from 27 donors and provided 19 people with home furnishings.
Often, Renewed Hope delivers furniture to individuals and families in nearly empty homes. Without the nonprofit, many families would be without beds to sleep in or dining tables to eat at.
“Receiving a Sharing Fund grant has helped us change people’s lives,” said Angie Radcliffe, the nonprofit’s executive director.
As the ministry continues to grow and meet the needs of Poweshiek County and beyond, its financial needs grow as well. But the volunteers of Renewed Hope are up for the challenge, and excited to see its ministry continue to make a difference.
The Everence Sharing Fund helps thousands of individuals and families each year through matching grants. From supporting food pantries to filling oil tanks – and supporting church ministries like Renewed Hope – Sharing Fund contributions go directly to meet basic needs. In 2024, Everence awarded $990,000 in grants, and the congregations we worked with distributed $1.2 million on top of that to help people with basic, everyday needs.