Irwin church seeks furniture donations to help needy families

An Irwin church is taking donations of gently used furniture Saturday to support The Blessing Board, a Shaler-based nonprofit that provides household furnishings to those in need at no cost.

The mission team at the First Presbyterian Church of Irwin, 617 Main St., will be accepting donations from 9 to 11 a.m. in the church parking lot. Couches and love seats, living room chairs and recliners, and mattresses and box springs — twin, full and queen sizes — will be accepted. Items will be taken to The Blessing Board, which has showrooms in Shaler and West Mifflin.

Home pickup is available by contacting the church at 724-863-5910.

“One of the goals in supporting local missions is not just financially, but getting people involved. We desire to have folks volunteer outside of church on Sunday,” said Keri Holton, a deacon and member of the mission committee at the church. “The Blessing Board is one way we have accomplished this goal. We are opening this up to the community as a way to share this ministry.”

The Blessing Board takes applications from families and individuals in need of emergency assistance, Holton said.

“At this time there is not enough furniture and household items to accommodate every family who applies,” she said, so the goal is to continue to increase the inventory.

The Irwin Presbyterian church has had members at the West Mifflin location on the Day of Blessing for families, during which recipients hear a brief gospel presentation before shopping for furniture and household goods for their apartments or homes. The organization, founded in 2007, said it has given away more than 142,000 donated items.

“It really is quite amazing,” Holton said.