CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Four Denver-area charities that help veterans now have new furniture, thanks to IKEA and dozens of volunteers.
IKEA Centennial donated 177 pieces of furniture and more than 150 volunteers assembled it Saturday for the store’s first annual Social Circle.
“We moved into a new building a few years ago and we’ve been piecemealing things together because we’re a non-profit. And this will really help this look more uniform,” said Freedom Service Dogs‘ Erin Conley. The organization trains rescue dogs to be service animals and often places them with veterans.
“I like the mission of pulling dogs out of shelters and training them to do more and contribute to society as a whole and help veterans,” said Stephanie Barres, who was assembling a chair — her first piece of IKEA furniture.
Brian Boldry spent the morning working on a table.
He and his wife own Bold Lead Designs, a company that creates dog harnesses, leashes, collars and more for Freedom Service Dogs and other service animal organizations.
“With Freedom Service Dogs, they actually got our feet wet,” Boldry said. “They were first organization that saw what we were doing and said, ‘Hey, can you make it like this for this particular need?'”
Besides Freedom Service Dogs, Healing Warriors Program, The Home Front Cares and Warriors Warehouse also received furniture.