A number of Virginia charities will benefit from a recent Hooker Furniture warehouse sale. The furniture brand raised $41,386 to support the Grace Network and the Salvation Army of Martinsville-Henry County. Hooker also donated all of the available furniture and distributed the funds raised evenly between the two organizations.
“Our warehouse sale has quickly become one of our most popular charitable initiatives in our community,” says Paul B. Toms, chairman and chief executive officer of Hooker Furniture Corp. “Our community looks forward to this bi-annual sale not only because it provides them with the opportunity to purchase quality furniture at a discounted rate, but also because it supports the many charitable foundations in our local area. Because finding a great deal also helps those in need, it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Grace Network supports families in the Martinsville and Henry County community who are experiencing financial difficulties. The organization provides financial assistance for housing and utilities, a food pantry, tools to help families decrease their heating and cooling bills, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program tax preparation, and informal tax mentoring. Grace plans on using some of the donation to buy supplies for its food pantry.
As part of Hooker Furniture's social responsibility efforts, it has participated in other fundraisers in the past and has raised money to Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation, United Way and Relay for Life. The company also supports its employees through a scholarship fund. Since it was founded in the 1990s, over $1 million has been given to over 300 children of Hooker's employees.
The company has been based in Martinsville, since it was founded in 1925, and its furniture is manufactured in nearby Bedford, Virginia and Hickory, North Carolina, and some of its wooden furniture is imported from Asia, Mexico and Central America. It is currently run by Toms, the grandson of the founder, who took over the company in 2001.
