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Announcement:
Repurposed LifeResources, not waste

Every home deserves to feel like one.

We rescue good furniture from offices, hotels, and colleges before it hits the landfill, and bring it to NYCHA neighbors at free pop-ups in all five boroughs.

Get furniture for your home I have furniture to give

Since 2024: over half a million pounds of furniture and household goods into the homes of more than 5,000 New York families.

A sunny room furnished by Repurposed Life: orange sofas and curved lounge chairs, a round table with a plant, floor lamps, and throw pillows

Headed for the landfill.

Film by The David Prize.

2026 David Prize winner

Regina just won $200,000 to grow this work.

On September 15, 2026, The David Prize named Regina Carter one of five New Yorkers to receive $200,000 in no-strings funding for a big idea to make the city better. Hers: treat furniture insecurity as the real problem it is.

My vision for Repurposed Life is a New York City that sees furniture insecurity as a real problem.Regina Carter, founder
  • Over 500,000 lbs distributed since 2024
  • More than 5,000 NYC families
  • Monthly pop-ups across the boroughs

Read the winner story Donate

Next free pop-up

Announced as trucks get booked.

Pop-ups move around the five boroughs, most often in NYCHA parking lots and on basketball courts.

The fastest ways to hear about the next one:

  • Follow along on Instagram and Facebook
  • Ask your resident association, since many host them
  • Email us and we'll tell you when one is near you
Ask about the next pop-up

Pop-ups are for residents who register through their resident association, a caseworker, or this form.

Two residents unwrapping donated oak wardrobes in a parking lot beneath NYCHA towers
Oak wardrobes, straight off the truck.

We call it shopping, because it is.

Everything at a pop-up is free. You walk the tables, pick what fits your home, and take it with you.

  1. Get on the list

    Sign up through your resident association, ask your caseworker to refer you, or email us directly.

  2. Come shop

    Beds, dressers, sofas, tables, lamps, small appliances. Whatever came off the truck that day.

  3. Take it home

    Bring a cart or a neighbor. Volunteers help load up big pieces.

Two women laughing as they look over a donated flat-screen TV on the sidewalk
A summer pop-up, flat screens by the dozen.
Residents browsing tables of lamps, dishes, and a toaster at night outside a NYCHA building
Community care doesn't clock out when the sun goes down.

Looking for something in particular? Email repurposedlifeinc@gmail.com and tell us what your home needs.

What it means when the truck pulls up

Mattress
For the last two weeks I been sleeping in my wheelchair, thank you for bringing me a mattress
Castle Hill Houses resident, Bronx
Mini fridge
I take insulin and this is going straight into my bedroom
Senior resident, Morris Houses, Bronx
Starting over
When our apartment was burned out, everything was destroyed thank you for bringing us some normalcy
Ingersoll Houses resident, Brooklyn
A child's bedroom with a twin bed, dinosaur comforter, oak dresser, nightstand, keyboard, and guitar

An empty room, finished.

This bedroom had bare walls and a floor. Now it has a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a kid with somewhere to put the guitar. Every piece came off a truck that was headed to the dump.

Furniture is expensive, and when money is tight it's the first thing to go without. Regina believes your home reflects how you're doing, and everyone deserves a space that feels like theirs.

Clearing out an office, hotel, or dorm?

Give us a date and we'll bring the truck and the crew. Your furniture goes to families, not the landfill, and you get a receipt for the pounds you kept out of it.

How giving works

Who's given this year

  • Javits Center
  • Avocado Green Mattress
  • Hilton Staten Island
  • Green Standards
  • Eagle Transfer
  • Remix Market NYC
  • House of Good Deeds
  • Simon Industries
  • Furniture Sharehouse
  • Neighbors across the Bronx
September 2026 spotlight

Celebrating the people who keep good things moving.

Each month, Repurposed Life shines a light on a donor and a volunteer who help turn usable furniture and household goods into comfort, dignity, and less waste across New York City.

A Repurposed Life furniture pickup with a moving truck and community members working together Donor of the Month September 2026

Donor partner

Avocado Green Mattress

Choosing a second life over the landfill.

“Their choice to reuse quality mattresses means more New Yorkers can sleep comfortably without good materials becoming waste.”

— Repurposed Life

Why this support matters

Mattresses are one of the hardest essentials for families to replace on a limited budget. Ongoing donor partnerships help Repurposed Life move usable beds directly into homes while keeping bulky materials out of the waste stream.

Become a donor partner
Repurposed Life volunteers standing with donated dressers and tables at a community event Volunteer Team of the Month September 2026

Community volunteers

Our Community Crew

The hands behind every pickup and pop-up.

“Every pickup, every lift, and every hour given helps turn an empty space into a home.”

— Repurposed Life

Why their time matters

Volunteers help load trucks, sort donations, set up community pop-ups, and move large pieces into neighbors' hands. Their time expands how many donations Repurposed Life can rescue and place each week.

Join the volunteer crew
Who should we spotlight next? Nominate a donor, partner, or volunteer whose support deserves recognition.
Send a nomination
Portrait of Regina Carter The Furniture Queen

Started by a neighbor, run by neighbors

Regina Carter lives at Morris Houses in the Bronx, where she's tenant association president. It began with one neighbor whose sofa was ruined by a leak. Since 2024 it has grown to more than 5,000 families.

Every pop-up runs on volunteers: people who lift, people who drive, and resident associations who host.

Read Regina's storyVolunteer