SAN FRANCISCO—The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, in cooperation with JLL, has put a program in place to repurpose furniture no longer being used by the hotel (which is undergoing a large-scale renovation) and donate it to Compass Family Services, a local organization that helps homeless and at risk families become stably housed. The pieces of furniture—which include beds, desks, chairs and armoires from 150 guestrooms—will be matched by Compass Family Services with San Francisco and East Bay families in need, helping more than 100 local families furnish their new homes and redirecting an estimated 12 tons and 400 cubic yards of useable furniture away from landfill.
“We are excited that The Clift’s furniture will have a new life in the homes of these well-deserving families,” says Carlos Flores, President and CEO of Sonesta. “This initiative is directly in line with our core values, and our Culture of Caring philosophy. Every Sonesta Hotel provides more than just a warm and welcoming experience for guests—we also strive to be valued and engaged members of our local communities and a force for good in the towns and cities that our hotels call home.”
The (re)Purpose Furniture Initiative will take place over the next year, with The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel and JLL (which is managing the renovations at the hotel) overseeing the project alongside Compass Family Services. The furniture will be stored at Reliable Furniture, run by Darrell Parks, and every month a portion of it will be delivered to five or six families, with some of the furniture also going to the Compass Clara House, a service-enriched transitional housing program for homeless families.
Helping Families in Need
Matthew Boone, Senior Project Manager at JLL, is spearheading the project. States Boone, “In the past, when we would try to resell old furniture from the hotels we worked with, the market was so saturated that it would just end up going to landfills. Now, in addition to helping out the environment, we are also helping families in need create a safe and stable home environment. Many of these families do not currently have a bed to sleep in, a desk to do homework on, or a table where they can eat family dinners.”
Adds Erica Kisch, Executive Director of Compass Family Services, “We couldn’t be more grateful for the teams at The Clift, Sonesta and JLL who are taking on this project that will have a big impact for so many homeless families for which we help to secure housing. Everyone needs a lease and a key, but so many of the families we help to house move into their new homes without a stick of furniture. This new partnership means that a family securing housing is truly able to turn their house into a home.”
In addition, The Clift will donate some of their iconic wheelbarrow chairs to local artists to be reimagined. Then, in the spring of 2020, the chairs will be auctioned off at a fundraiser at The Clift to be held in conjunction with JLL and Compass Family Services. All the proceeds will go to support the furniture redistribution program and Compass Family Services. Further details around the auction event will be announced later.
Sonesta President and CEO Carlos Flores adds, “We encourage our hotels to practice their own philanthropic endeavors in a way that best serves their respective community. The (re)Purpose initiative in the San Francisco Bay Area is a prime example of what Sonesta’s Culture of Caring is all about. We cherish the opportunity to help the communities that so generously support our presence.”
