Nest & Neighbors: A Wider Circle

Q: What's the origin story behind A Wider Circle? We'd love to hear what inspired its founding.

A: "A Wider Circle (AWC) started as a grassroots organization, with neighbors helping neighbors furnish their homes. A lack of home furnishings is one of the biggest hurdles for many families. The ability to store, organize and distribute home goods is also a logistical and funding challenge in the nonprofit space — a niche that A Wider Circle was founded to fill. AWC has grown from its grassroots to the organization we are today, helping 10-15 individuals and families furnish their home every single day out of our warehouse in Silver Spring, MD!

Our Home Reimagined (HRI) program began, as many great things do, as a conversation and a kernel of an idea. How could we elevate our daily service and provide a greater impact for those we serve? How do we engage our community in the project? How do we create a true home for those we serve?

For years, A Wider Circle had amazing community members— interior designers, architects, stagers, moving companies, and corporate groups ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work— that always wanted to volunteer and benefit our clients in a deeper way. They had skills, talent, and time that they were willing to share and give.

Home Reimagined was born out of those questions and a group of amazing community members. In 2023, we partnered with designers and moving companies to transform four homes right in Silver Spring— our literal neighbors! We had designers meet with the clients before the day of the event, take measurements, chat about preferences, and then choose furniture from A Wider Circle's inventory. On the day of the event (at the time a community day hosted at A Wider Circle), moving partners loaded up their trucks with the furniture and delivered everything to the apartments. The designers and a group of volunteers were there to help set everything up and, in a few hours, four empty spaces became beautiful, comfortable, functional homes.

Home Reimagined was born! The next year, we transformed 10 homes on May 2, 2024. This May, we plan to transform 50 homes in one day."

Q: Could you share a success story that has particularly moved you in your work?

A: "There are dozens of stories that move me! This community never stops surprising me with their generosity, kindness, and support. When I emailed a corporate sponsor (NewRez) to see if they had any folks that could volunteer before the event day for HRI-24, they sent two management level people that week to help me rearrange, label and prep furniture for the move day. They changed their schedule to make time to ensure our day loading the trucks was successful— and did some heavy lifting, in a literal sense, to make it happen! I had designers (Tyler Whitmore Interiors) repair, paint and rehab furniture to make it perfect for the client's 12 year old girl's dream room. This included reupholstering a vanity chair with fabric that they hand painted. And many clients have moved me, including a grandmother who had recently lost her daughter in an accident and gained custody of her two young grandchildren. Being able to transform their home, especially designing the kids' room and filling it with a crib, bed, art, and toys, was special for the family and the whole team working on the home."

Q: For readers who might be downsizing or refreshing their homes, what items are most needed in your furniture donation program right now?

A: "Most needed items right now: sofas, dining room tables and chairs, coffee tables and rugs! You can find a full list of needed items here and more information on the A Wider Circle website. We take donations Monday-Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Appointments are not needed for drop-off donations."

Q: Given your work in helping people create homes, what does "home" mean to you?

A: "Home for me is really a comfortable place for people I love to be together. Whether it is my husband and daughter snuggling on our couch or friends dropping by for dinner, home is a gathering place for loved ones to be safe, comfortable and present with each other.

One client from last year's Home Reimagined really said it best… she called her newly furnished and designed home her 'sanctuary.' That really stuck with me— how much the space we reside in can affect our lives and how we feel. The specificity of the word sanctuary, and the images it elicits, the feeling you get when you hear that word, that is what Home Reimagined creates. Not just a furnished space, but home— a sanctuary."

Q: Any exciting initiatives or events coming up that our community should know about?

A: "Home Reimagined is May 8, 2025! We are already visiting homes, selecting furniture and partnering with amazing people! We are still looking for designers, moving companies, and corporate sponsors that would like to help set up the homes. Please email Lara at hri@awidercircle.org if you are interested or have any questions."

Q: On a lighter note - where's your favorite local spot to grab a bite?

A: "I live and work in downtown Silver Spring (I know, I am the luckiest commuter in the DMV!) and love so many spots in this area! I think I will shoutout one of the newer restaurants I have tried that was absolutely fabulous: Lime & Cilantro on Seminary Road in Silver Spring. Delicious food and very close to A Wider Circle. So stop by, drop off some furniture and grab a tasty lunch!"

If you're looking to refresh your space this spring, consider donating your gently-used furniture to A Wider Circle. Your former coffee table or sofa could be the centerpiece of a new beginning for a family in our community. Visit their website to learn more about donating, volunteering, or supporting their Home Reimagined initiative. Together, we can help transform houses into sanctuaries, one home at a time.