At Matthew House Ottawa, a couch is never just a couch. It’s what helps turn an empty space into a home.

This past February, the local charity moved its Furniture Bank into a bigger and better location on Industrial Avenue, transforming a former manufacturing warehouse into a welcoming place where families facing financial hardships, including refugees and those exiting the shelter system, can find donated furniture and household essentials.

Matthew House Ottawa (MHO) worked closely with Terlin Construction on completing necessary renovations. Terlin, which was also a major donor, served as the presenting sponsor of Thursday’s Furnishing Futures fundraiser.

Going into the event, the charity had just under $100,000 left to raise in its $450,000 capital campaign. “We’re not done yet, which is why I invited you here,” said MHO executive director Kailee Brennan, smiling at the crowd of 100 donors, partners, volunteers and staff.

Matthew House Ottawa executive director Kailee Brennan seen applauding from the audience at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Matthew House Ottawa hosted its Furnishing Futures fundraiser on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at its new Furniture Bank located at 700 Industrial Avenue. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Local business leaders, including restaurateurs Joe Thottungal and David Godsoe, and Carole Saad’s LouLou Lounge, pitched in, donating food, drinks and supplies for the party.

Attendees included former Matthew House executive director Allan Reesor-McDowell, now leading the local John Howard Society, and current Matthew House board members, including Kaite Burkholder Harris, executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, and Deirdre Freiheit, vice president with Pourquoi Pas Coaching International.

Shepherds of Good Hope CEO Stephen Bartolo was there, as were such donors as Crosspoint Financial senior portfolio manager Brent Vandermeer with his team, and development manager and campaign fundraiser “extraordinaire” Sandra Pedersen.

Algonquin College’s second-year interior design students helped with the design and layout of the new warehouse space. It features colourful murals and welcoming messages on its walls, a children’s play area furnished by IKEA, and office space in the back. The new space also includes a donor wall.

Director of operations and former refugee claimant David Botha, who started as a volunteer 15 years ago, received a lifetime achievement award. “I often joke he’s part of the furniture, but he doesn’t get to leave,” said Brennan during the presentation.

Botha told CiTC while giving a tour of the new facility that the new Furniture Bank is a “dream come true,” adding that the organization had been searching since 2018 for a new home. At the old location, one manager had an office facing the loading dock, which made for chilly working conditions in the winter, he said with a laugh.

Matthew House Ottawa executive director Kailee Brennan presented a lifetime achievement award to the director of operations, David Botha, recognizing his 15 years of involvement. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, E18hteen Restaurant general manager Marc Theodas, professional fundraiser Sandra Pedersen and E18hteen Hospitality Group executive chef David Godsoe, also founder of DG Cuisine, at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa’s new Furniture Bank. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Matthew House Ottawa (MHO) board member Deirdre Freiheit with Joe Thottungal, executive chef and owner of Coconut Lagoon and Thali restaurants, at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for MHO’s new Furniture Bank. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Crosspoint Financial senior portfolio manager Brent Vandermeer and members of his team, Jennifer Parr, Erin Gendron and Nicole Duguay, in front of the donor wall at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa’s new Furniture Bank. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Shepherds of Good Hope CEO Stephen Bartolo, Ottawa city councillor Ariel Troster and Allan Reesor-McDowell, former executive director of Matthew House Ottawa (MHO), at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for MHO’s new Furniture Bank. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Layne The Auctionista emceed the formal program. It featured guest speaker Nadia Ngoto, a mother who found herself homeless in 2014 after fleeing an abusive relationship. Her four boys were ages 14 and younger at the time.

After spending a couple of years in a women’s shelter, Ngoto said the Furniture Bank helped her rebuild her life once her family moved into a place of their own. She recalled the excitement she felt when she saw the moving truck parked outside their new apartment. Her previous moves had usually involved hurried exits with luggage, or even garbage bags filled with belongings in hand.

She spoke of the man leading the delivery that day, and how he treated her with a kindness and respect she wasn’t used to from the men in her life. She also recalled how special it was to have a couch to cuddle with her boys on (or, from the boys’ perspective, something fun to jump on).

“We went from sitting on the floor to sitting on the couch. It was a big deal.”

Ngoto’s life now includes employment, supportive friends and an even better living space. “When reflecting back to that time of my life, I feel extremely grateful and blessed,” she said. “It’s not about the furniture but about finding my self-esteem and my pride, and that’s really important.”

When she was done speaking, the audience responded with a standing ovation, led by Ottawa city councillors Marty Carr, Rawlson King, Steve Desroches, Ariel Troster and Jeff Leiper.

Guest speaker Nadia Ngoto spoke about how Matthew House Ottawa helped her and her family after they exited the shelter system. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Ottawa city councillors Marty Carr, Rawlson King, Steve Desroches, Ariel Troster and Jeff Leiper led a standing ovation after Nadia Ngoto shared her personal story at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa’s new Furniture Bank. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Layne The Auctionista worked the room during the call for pledges at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The crowd also heard about the Furniture Bank’s humble beginnings from an Alta Vista carport belonging to Marc Wyatt, one of the founders.

Brennan read aloud a written memory Wyatt shared from those early days: “Of moving mattresses stacked three and four high on top of our family minivan with a sofa, dresser, tables and chairs inside. Sometimes there was so much inside I had to open the back door and tie it all down, [the trunk] still open while transporting. We never got a ticket but we did have things fall out a couple of times.”

By 2019, the Furniture Bank was furnishing nearly 700 homes each year. That number has since more than doubled, with 1,599 families served last year. In its new space, it will be able to support up to 2,000 families annually. All furniture is donated by the public, with donors eligible to receive a tax receipt.

“What we’re celebrating tonight is not just this new space, which is amazing, but it is about what happens inside it,” Brennan said of the help that’s provided to the many families who walk through their doors. Matthew House also runs a refugee services program.

As pledges for support poured in, volunteers quickly covered a large cardboard house with paper bricks on its wall, each one symbolizing a donation. “This is not a Pink Floyd song,” joked Layne, recognizing their music reference might go over some heads.

Layne thanked the crowd for exceeding the initial goal of $50,000 by raising $78,000, including a $10,000 gift from The Shapiro Foundation. They told the crowd: “Folks, you came tonight understanding the mission, the purpose. You came with your hearts and you came with your intentions.”

That leaves just $5,200 to raise.

After the formal program was over, Layne encouraged everyone to stick around for as long as they like. “Hang out. Mix and mingle, because we own the place now,” they joked.

Since 2012, MHO’s Furniture Bank has helped furnish homes for more than 10,000 families, supporting 14,000-plus individuals. Referrals come from shelters, health centres and city systems. The program has also diverted more than 114,000 household items from the landfill, according to MHO.

Layne The Auctionista helped solicit pledges while volunteers constructed a symbolic home, with each “brick” representing a donation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Lynda Carter, partner at MNP LLP, and her colleague Ricki Virk at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Allison Smith from CBC/Radio-Canada, Matthew House Ottawa (MHO) board member Kaite Burkholder Harris and Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi, at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for MHO. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, city councillor Rawlson King, Emilie Coyle, co-executive director at the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, and Heather Badenoch, communications strategist at Village PR, at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Matthew House Ottawa volunteer Kim Barnhardt and her husband, Dr. Kumanan Wilson, CEO and scientific director of the Bruyère Health Research Institute, at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Matthew House Ottawa (MHO) senior program manager Neil Simpson, Deborah Naczynski, and MHO director of operations David Botha at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, professional fundraiser Sandra Pedersen and Mary Browne from Royal LePage Team Realty, at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Ottawa chef Jan Michael Co, city councillor Ariel Troster and David Vinoya, executive chef of Hilton Garden Inn & Homewood Suites Ottawa Downtown, at the Furnishing Futures fundraiser for Matthew House Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Syntax Strategic, RBC, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, Welch LLP, and Brazeau Seller Law.
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