OLDSMAR, Fla. — An Oldsmar nonprofit organization is helping those in need by supplying furniture and other household items to families — and a former Bucs head coach is working to help the nonprofit.
New Life Warehouse in Oldsmar helps furnish homes across Tampa Bay.
Stephanie Haile started the nonprofit organization in 2020. She began collecting furniture when she worked as a guardian ad litem.
"I was helping kids in the foster care system and realized they couldn't go with their grandmother or back with their parents just because of furniture," she said.
"They had to have beds and individual beds for individual children. They had to have couches and kitchen tables to have good living conditions in their homes," she added.
Haile said she works with other organizations that will refer her to families in need.
"Once we get the referral, we send them an application then we get all their furniture and home items together and we deliver it to their home and set it up," she said.
She said her organization helps families who have lost everything in a fire or a hurricane.
They also help veterans or people who are homeless as well as foster families.
Her organization relies on donations of furniture like couches, dressers, lamps and other household items.
"Mostly we say from the couch to the can opener. We provide all the necessities that families need to start over in their home so just think kitchen items, bath items even toys, decor, items like that and furniture, small, manageable furniture like couches, love seats and dressers," said Haile.
The organization also relies on volunteers and is always looking for more people to help.
Haile is partnering with philanthropist and best-selling author Lauren Dungy and Former Buccaneers Head Coach Tony Dungy.
The couple has a long history of fostering children.
New Life Warehouse is hosting a fundraising event on Nov. 6 in Lutz.
People may participate in a live auction at the event or buy raffle tickets online for a chance to attend a Bucs game with Tony and Lauren Dungy.
"We have a special opportunity that Tony Dungy gave us, him and his wife, Lauren, they are donating four tickets to a Bucs game where you get to go with Tony, and you get to experience the Bucs game with him and sit in a corporate suite and have food and drinks," said Haile.
To purchase raffle tickets or to learn more about the fundraising event visit this site.
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