Furnishing New Beginnings is dedicated to supporting refugees as they rebuild their lives in the United States.

Our mission is to provide housewares, furniture, and unwavering support to these individuals and families, while actively engaging our community in this effort.

Our journey began over two years ago, following the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Houston saw an influx of refugees, overwhelming local agencies. Witnessing this crisis and driven by a desire to help, a group of compassionate moms, affectionately known as the “Minivan Brigade,” began collecting furniture and household items for newly arriving families.

Since then, we have evolved into a formal organization with hundreds of volunteers across Houston. In the past two years, we have assisted over 1,100 refugees by providing basic living essentials such as beds, dressers, kitchen items, cleaning supplies, and toys for their children. We’ve gathered donations valued at over a million dollars from our generous community.

While the Afghan crisis has lessened, the arrival of refugees in Houston continues unabated. We’ve helped families from five continents and 23 countries, including Ukraine, Syria, Burma, Honduras, Cuba, Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Vietnam. In the past year alone, we’ve assisted 130 families.

Every day, we collect, repair, and store donations in our garages. When contacted by a resettlement agency or a refugee family, we mobilize a volunteer team within days to deliver and set up all necessary furnishings. On setup days, you’ll find us loading our cars – about three minivans are needed for a family of five – and transforming an empty apartment into a welcoming home.

We are grateful to our many volunteers and donors who make this work possible.