“Things you might take for granted can make a difference for others,” said Moving Forward Warehouse Employee Christine Tilyou.
Founded by WHS Alumna Meg Freer (‘87) and co-worker Judy Brucia, Moving Forward Warehouse is a thrift store, offering customers a place to donate unused furniture and purchase refurbished products.
What sets the company apart is the emphasis on local communities. Moving Forward Warehouse is a non-profit business dedicated to aiding the foster care system and those in need.
Moving Forward Warehouse is an extension of a previous business founded by Freer and Brucia named JM Move Managers, which continues to simplify home transitions for those who need help, including the likes of senior citizens in Union County.
To Freer, the goal was to aid people in need. “We didn’t go into making this company to make money,” she said. “We hope to be a resource.” The foster care system, in particular, emerged as a top service in need. “I worked with a lot of families who were low income and special needs, and that always was very near and dear to my heart,” Tilyou said. “Servicing people in the foster care system is a goal [of mine].”
The Moving Forward Warehouse team consists of 14 women, which adds to the tight-knit community and “personalized feel” of the store, as described by Freer.
For those looking to donate, Moving Forward Warehouse can repurpose once dusty cushions and broken sofas to aid others. “I think a lot of people feel good about donating furniture as opposed to getting a dollar here and there. They know that it’s going to some place good and that somebody is going to be [impacted],” Tilyou said.
As WHS seniors look forward to college, this store provides an alternative way to get dorm necessities without breaking the bank. Students can feel good about filling a college dorm with accessories and furniture knowing the proceeds go to a great cause.
Among the other benefits, Moving Forward Warehouse prevents unnecessary waste from ending up in landfills. The “vast majority” of furniture eventually ends up in a landfill, according to nytimes.com.
As of April 1, Moving Forward Warehouse has been primarily working alongside Court Appointed Special Advocates New Jersey, a non-profit organization with the goal of aiding children suffering from neglect or abuse. According to fullerlaw.com, neglect has been prominent in the foster care system and is the most common form of mistreatment. By aiding county-based CASA programs, Moving Forward Warehouse is making a significant effort to counter this neglect.
Moving Forward Warehouse officially opened on April 1 at 244 Sheffield St. in Mountainside, NJ, but will have a grand opening on May 1. They are open on Tuesdays from 10-4, Thursdays 12-7 and Saturdays 10-4.
More than just a store, Moving Forward Warehouse looks to have a bigger impact on our community.