Morgan Radford of NBC’s Today visited Detroit to profile the work Humble Design Fueled by U-Haul is doing. The story is scheduled to air nationally at 9 a.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 28.

Through the generous donations of businesses and individuals, Humble Design’s dedicated staff and volunteers not only address of the primary furnishings that families require like beds, but they add the personal touches that make a house a home: individualized wall art, curtains, rugs, kitchen appliances and children’s needs such as toys, books, stuffed animals and sporting goods.

U-Haul and Humble Design team up to give formerly homeless families new, welcoming homes Tweet

How does Humble Design work?

• Gently used household furnishings are donated by caring supporters like you.
• Families are selected with the help of case workers at homeless and abuse shelters.
• Focus is placed on selecting single parents with children and veteran families.
• Humble designers meet with selected families to assess their needs and wish lists.
• Measurable impact: Up to half of all families that leave shelters return to homelessness within one year. Only 1 percent for Humble-assisted families return to shelters in that time.

PUBLIC CHALLENGE
U-Haul has helped Humble Design increase its reach with a donated wrapped truck, self-storage space at U-Haul facilities, financial assistance and an infrastructure that will enable this compassionate work to touch more cities. Now U-Haul is making another pledge: It will match every dollar donated to Humble Design — up to $50,000! Will you help us fight homelessness and restore dignity to families in need? Give today.

U-Haul was started 71 years ago by a WWII Navy veteran and his wife to meet the basic need of helping families move their belongings from one destination to another. Today, U-Haul focuses its extensive charitable efforts on meeting the basic human needs of food, clothing and shelter; aiding and honoring veterans; and caring for communities in times of crises as an American Red Cross Disaster Responder.

“The shared ideals of U-Haul and Humble Design provide the basis for a partnership that will overcome homelessness, one home at a time,” U-Haul Executive Vice President Stuart Shoen said. “From our longstanding ties to the auto industry to the revitalization efforts we’re involved in today such as the NBC (Nabisco) Building in New Center, U-Haul is inherently linked to the Motor City and its hardworking people. The prospect of making a genuine difference for Detroit families in need – and soon families in many other cities – was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”

About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers’ patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to more than 139,000 trucks, 108,000 trailers and 38,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 536,000 rooms and more than 47 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S. www.uhaul.com

About Humble Design
Humble Design is a Detroit-based non-profit that helps families transitioning out of homeless shelters by providing furnishings and design services. The organization turns empty houses into clean, dignified and welcoming homes — a very simple idea that can change a family’s future. Co-founded by Treger Strasberg, the organization primarily serves single moms with children and helps homeless veterans and their families. The Humble Design team has served more than 660 families since 2009 and currently helps three families a week. www.humbledesign.org

Contact
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com