Urban Barn rejuvenates shelters

VANCOUVER – Helping inspire and create beautiful spaces is something Urban Barn is passionate about. As part of its Shelter Rejuvenation Program, the retailer has transformed spaces in shelters in five different regions across Canada to help create a homier feel for visitors.

In a statement, the privately-held company noted its Shelter Rejuvenation Project is a community-focused initiative aimed at refreshing an area in different shelters across the country. To create a bright and inviting place for visitors and staff, select rooms were updated with new furniture and accessories chosen based on new room designs created by Urban Barn staff.

“It is important for us to give back and support the communities where our staff live and do business,” Urban Barn president Linda Letts said. “This initiative was developed to further engrain us into our community partnerships programs and to become an extension of our Blanket the Country in Warmth program, which is now in its sixth year.”

“Other companies see what Urban Barn is doing, and they want to take something on; they want to help out,” added Lisa Spinks-Smith of the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie, Ontario – one of the shelters it worked with as part of the program. “When people come through our doors, they've been through quite an experience. Having a warm, comfortable space really helps their healing.”

In addition to the Barrie shelter, the Shelter Rejuvenation Project provided furnishings to: Central Alberta Women's Emergency Shelter in Red Deer, Alberta; WIN House in Edmonton; Covenant House in Vancouver; and Eva’s Phoenix in Toronto.

In addition to its Shelter Rejuvenation and Blanket the Country in Warmth programs, Urban Barn also runs its Give and Take program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Through this partnership, Urban Barn removes old furniture from customers’ homes with the delivery new furniture from Urban Barn for a nominal fee. The old furniture is brought back to Urban Barn’s warehouse where it is carefully inspected to determine its condition.

Eligible items are then transported to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore locations to be resold. All proceeds go directly into rebuilding homes around the community.

Based here and founded in 1990, Urban Barn operates just over 50 retail locations across the country.