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Many people with Furniture Depot appointments express concern about how they are going to arrive. However, getting here is simple with the right directions.

The Furniture Depot is conveniently located at 1416 Centre Street in Thornhill, just to the east of the intersection at Dufferin and Centre. To give some context to that, we are in the plaza right next to the Concord supermarket and are about a five-minute walk from the intersection.

Our plaza has a spacious parking lot if you are driving, but we are also very accessible through public transportation. There are stops right nearby for York Region Transit and Viva busses, which come from all directions.  YRT and Viva also allow for effortless transfers at no extra cost, in case you need to take more than one bus.

People come to the Furniture Depot from many different locations. Below are some of the more common routes that people take.

 

Markham:

If you are driving from Markham, the quickest route is to take Highway 407 (please note that this is a toll road). Get off the highway at exit 73 onto Dufferin Street. Continue south on Dufferin and make a left turn onto Centre Street. We are in the third plaza on the left.

If you are taking public transit from Markham, ride the 52 Unionville GO Bus and get off at Richmond Hill Centre. Then transfer to the Viva Orange heading westbound to Martin Grove. When you get to Dufferin and Centre, get off the bus and walk about five minutes to our location at 1416 Centre Street.

 

Woodbridge:

When driving from Woodbridge, it is quickest to take Highway 407-East (please note that this is a toll road). Get off the highway at exit 73 onto Dufferin Street. Continue south on Dufferin and make a left turn onto Centre Street. We are in the third plaza on the left.

When taking public transit from Woodbridge, take the 77 bus towards Finch Terminal. When you get to Dufferin and Centre, get off the bus and walk about five minutes to our location at 1416 Centre Street.

 

Newmarket:

When driving from York Region, the quickest route is going straight down Dufferin Street. Make a left turn onto Centre Street, and enter the third plaza on the left.

When taking public transit from York Region, take the 96 southbound bus to the intersection of Keele Street and Highway 7. Then transfer to the Viva Orange eastbound bus and get off at the intersection of Dufferin and Centre before walking about five minutes to our location at 1416 Centre Street.

 

East Gwillimbury:

When driving from East Gwillimbury, it is quickest to take Highway 404 South and merge onto Highway 407 (please note that this is a toll road). Take exit 73 onto Dufferin Street, and make a left onto Centre Street. We are in the third plaza on the left.

When taking public transit from East Gwillimbury, take the 98 bus southbound to the Newmarket Go Terminal. Take the Viva Blue to Yonge and Centre, and transfer to the 77 westbound bus. Get off at Centre Street and Concord Road, and walk for about five minutes to our location at 1416 Centre Street.

 

Keswick:

When driving from Keswick, it is quickest to take Highway 404 southbound to Vaughan. Take exit 73 from Highway 407 (please note that this is a toll road). Continue on Dufferin Street and make a left onto Centre Street. We are in the third plaza on the left.

When taking public transit from Keswick, take the 50 southbound bus to Newmarket Terminal. Transfer to the 96 southbound bus and get off at Keele Street and Highway 7. Take the 77 bus eastbound until the intersection of Dufferin and Centre, and walk about five minutes to our location at 1416 Centre Street.

 

Toronto:

When driving from Toronto, it is quickest to take the Allen Road north to Dufferin Street. Continue north on Dufferin and make a right turn onto Centre Street. We are in the third plaza on the left.

When taking public transit from Toronto, take the TTC line 1 to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Transfer to the Viva Orange bus heading eastbound and get off at the intersection of Dufferin and Centre, before walking about five minutes to our location at 1416 Centre Street.

 

These routes are common but may not work for everyone. To look for other YRT and Viva bus schedules and to plan your trip over, the link below will help.

https://www.yrt.ca/en/schedules-and-maps/schedules.aspx

The trip planner feature lets you plug in your address or departure point, as well as where you want to go. As an example, you might enter your destination as “Dufferin St @ Centre St, Vaughan”.  You can even customize your arrival time so that you know you are finding the right route for your trip. You can then click the “plan my trip” button for a detailed guide customized to your needs. If you already know which bus you are taking, the schedule finder can help you find out exactly when your bus will be by.

If you are coming from farther away, or the YRT and Viva schedules do not have the route you are looking for, Google Maps is an excellent resource. Simply search for “JRCC Furniture Bank” and you can find easy to follow directions no matter where in the GTA you might be.

https://www.google.ca/maps

Once you have arrived at the Furniture Depot, go through our front door and head downstairs either by taking the stairs or using our accessible elevator. We will be here and ready to help.

Choosing to donate furniture as opposed to throwing it out benefits not only those in need, the environment, and the community, it also greatly benefits the donor in many ways. When donating one effectively removes the no longer needed furniture giving it a new life by allowing a family in need to obtain that furniture all while reducing waste.  Decluttering one’s home and getting rid of unneeded furniture could be a hassle, luckily donating furniture to the JRCC Furniture Depot has many advantages. Not only do our donors get to enjoy our competitive prices and ease of operation, they also receive a charitable tax receipt.

What is a charitable tax receipt is, how does it work, and how is it beneficial? Simply put, a charitable tax receipt is an official legal paper that gives a tax advantage to individuals and business that donate to a charity. It can directly reduce the amount of income tax you owe and in turn saves you money. The JRCC Furniture Depot is a non-for-profit organization that can issue these official tax receipts. These tax receipts get delivered in mail to our donors within 90 days of their charitable donation. With the help of a licensed official, we have implemented a system which helps determine the optimal tax amount, making us an efficiently operating organization. We hope to have given you a better understanding about the benefits and reimbursement available to any potential donors. The JRCC Furniture Depot looks forward to continuing helping you help those in need! For any further questions feel free to visit our donor FAQ page here on our website or call/email our office.

The JRCC Furniture Depot is a prominent and well-connected organization providing relief services and aid for a vast population in need in the Greater Toronto Area. The JRCC Furniture Depot has grown substantially since 1985, when it was merely a small community donation service for local used furniture. Today, the Furniture Depot has evolved into the second largest furniture bank in Canada, serving an immense geographic area and a wide-ranging clientele, far beyond the local community it began in. 

As seen in our service area chart, the JRCC Furniture Depot has a very far reaching service-area spanning 2,377.78 km2 and populating over 4 million residents! A large leap from the local community in Thornhill/North York it was originally founded in. 

The great impact of the JRCC Furniture Depot is not only measured by how far we are willing to travel to pick up furniture for those in need, but by the extent of our partnership network and number of clients in the GTA. Our number of clients has grown significantly over the past few years; In 2014 we had 870 clients, only a few years later in 2018 we proudly serve 2350 clients! The large majority of which are living below the poverty line. 

The JRCC Furniture Depot has effectively grown its network over the past decades, where now its partnerships include over 60 referral agencies and over 200 case workers. The amazing work done by the JRCC Furniture Depot has gained it recognition and support from all levels of government and private foundations, with large supporters including; The Regional Municipality of York, City of Vaughan Mayor’s Gala, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and more. 

Helping spread awareness about the FD and the services it provides for York Region, as coverage from the media goes a long way. This helps the public know what we do with used furniture donations and how the FD functions as a furniture bank helping those in need. While vast, this blog covers some of the highlights where the FD has been featured in the media over the past few years.

 

CBC News -January 11,2016 (24:31) – The FD helps Syrian refugee families settle in Canada by providing furniture to help furnish their homes.

“…we give out what we get; The more furniture people give us, the more families we can help.”

-Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman, CEO of JRCC

 

Thornhill Liberal (on YorkRegion.com) -January 14, 2016 – The FD helps refugee families furnish their homes.

“The Jewish Russian Community Centre teamed up with the Armenian community to provide furniture and other household items to help the refugees settle into new homes. […] The five refugee families received basic furniture, including mattresses, tables and chairs. Some also picked out dressers and wall units.”

 

Canadian Jewish News (CJN)- December 21 2017– An article describing how the FD helps individuals and families in need across York Region and Toronto.

“Not only does donating used items of furniture divert them from landfills, making the endeavor environmentally friendly, but it also fulfils Maimonides’ injunction to first help those in one’s own community and then to assist others. ‘We have an obligation to those living in our city, who are not part of our community,’”

 

As of recent, the FD has been featured in councilor Jaye Robinson’s  e-newsletter for March 2019:

“The JRCC Furniture Depot is the second largest furniture bank in Canada, and I was able to tour their facilities earlier this month. The Furniture Depot provides free furniture to north and east Toronto residents, including many new Canadians. Donations are needed and very much appreciated”

 

The FD is thankful to these media outlets and others who featured its services to York Region and Toronto. We look forward to helping the needy of York Region and Toronto for many years to come – but we still need YOUR help!

 

Donate used furniture today! Schedule a pickup and help those in need.

With the diverse clientele the FD services within Toronto and York region, it is worthwhile noting that we are committed to ensuring that anyone referred to us has accessibility within our facility- regardless of the limitations they have. Furniture donations are helpful only if it’s made accessible to all our clients! This blog post is about accessibility at the JRCC FD and how the FD provides it.

The JRCC furniture depot receives referrals from ODSP and Ontario Works to assist clients in need. The FD thus accommodates for challenges with accessibility faced by clients referred by these organizations by providing a fully accessible facility.

“Fully accessible; really?”

Saying that our facility fully is accessible sounds like a big deal; let’s talk about the accessibility options the FD provides.

Before stepping foot in the FD- accessibility options are present

Outside the FD a door-push button is provided for those who are unable to open the door.

Take the Stairs or the Elevator?

While the stairs may be a healthier option for some, for others it presents a challenge. With this sensitivity in mind, an elevator has been installed to provide ease of access to the facility for all clients visiting the FD.

Staff at the FD have all completed AODA training

Yes, ALL STAFF. To assure that we can accommodate for all clients regardless of their disability, staff at the JRCC furniture depot were required to complete the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act training course (link: here) as part of their employment at the FD.

Seamless entry/exit from reception to showroom

To provide accessibility to the showroom, access to the showroom from reception is sans-stairs and entirely wheelchair accessible! This assures that all clients will be able to see the furniture donations available and will be given fair opportunity to select the items they are interested in.

 

While it sounds hard to believe, “seeing is believing” at the FD. If you or anyone you know wants to donate used furniture, call us up at 416-222-7105 ext.500 or email furniture@jrcc.org for your furniture pickup quote today!

 

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The JRCC Furniture Depot’s mission is to provide furniture to those who need it, while simultaneously helping contribute to environmental sustainability!  By providing furniture to clients in need, the furniture depot has on average diverted 250 truckloads (350 tons) of furniture away from landfills and into the homes of those who need furniture! This contributes to an average of 8% of Toronto’s overall waste diversion through depots, environmental days and events, and reuse centres as well as 4% of York Region’s collected waste diversion materials (the data used can be seen here and here).

While we are on the topic of sustainability, here are some environmental reasons to donate your furniture to the JRCC Furniture depot.

1. Furniture donated is recycled for a second use

The very nature of the JRCC Furniture Depot’s purpose is to recycle furniture for a second use. By taking furniture which would otherwise be thrown out, the JRCC Furniture depot allows the furniture to have an extended life in furnishing the home of a client who would truly benefit from it.

2. Furniture donated goes from our showroom to a client’s home:

Other than a bedbug treatment before being placed in our showroom, the JRCC Furniture depot does not perform any chemical treatments or alterations on furniture once it is received. Furniture donors can rest assured that the furniture they donate will reach clients home in the most environmentally friendly method possible

3. You help make a difference in York Region and Toronto Waste Diversion efforts

As mentioned above, despite the JRCC Furniture Depot being a small operation, its efforts to help furnish clients’ homes make a big impact for those in need as well as a for the environment!

 

Be a part of something bigger and donate your used furniture to the JRCC Furniture depot!

Contact us today to donate your furniture!

 

One of the most common questions we get asked when a potential furniture donor calls us is: “How does the furniture donation process work? Why do you need all of this information to donate furniture?” This blog is here to explain just that! If you have any questions after reading, please feel free to email furniture@jrcc.org:

Step 1: We take down your name, address, email address, phone number(s), housing type and furniture item’s you’re interested in donating

In our “schedule a pickup” form we ask for your contact information, address and housing type; we need all this information before we can generate a pick-up quote because we need to know who you are, the location of your furniture, where to email your pick-up quote, which phone number you can be contacted, well as the quantity of furniture and the type of building our movers will be picking up from.

Sometimes, if furniture is larger than usual, we may ask for pictures to be emailed before generating a quote.

Our furniture pick-up schedule varies throughout the week and the given month. It is therefore highly recommended by potential furniture donors to call at least 2 weeks in advance of the approximate date they would be interested in donating their furniture. Also, please note that the JRCC Furniture Depot only services a given area in the GTA, please assure that your furniture is our service area before calling to schedule a pickup! 

Step 2: We send you a quote for your furniture pickup

In order to generate self-sufficiency, the JRCC Furniture Depot has to charge a nominal fee for furniture pickup. Potential donors are sent a quote with their pick-up fee and donation value which they will receive a CRA approved tax receipt.  Additionally, we apply discounts for larger quantities of furniture donated! So, the more you donate the more you save!

 

Step 3: We schedule a pick-up date:

After a quote is sent, if you are interested in donating your furniture, we schedule a pick-up date which works for you!  After mutually agreeing on a date which works, we bill you via credit card for your furniture pickup and schedule you in for an agreed pick-up date.

 

Because our movers work on a day to day basis, we are unable to schedule pick-up times for typical donation. Times for furniture pick-ups are only known the day before after 12pm. After 12pm, furniture donors will receive a call with a 3-hour window when our movers come for pick up.

Step 4: Within 90 days, a tax-deductible donation receipt should come in the mail.

After your furniture is picked up, our accounting department should mail you a donation receipt for the value your furniture is evaluated in the quote. Thank you for donating to the JRCC Furniture depot! Thank you for making a difference in someone else’s life!

 

During the festival of lights, the JRCC Furniture Depot continues to work to provide clients in need with what everyone needs to see when they come home- furniture. During this time, not everyone in the GTA is fortunate enough to have what is basic in every home. While clients referred to us are lacking furniture such as a table to eat on, a chair to sit on and a bed to sleep on- soon after an appointment with us they can rest assured knowing that their homes will be well furnished in the a next few days when the furniture they selected from our showroom is delivered.

All this could not have been possible were it not for the help of our donors! The furniture donated by our donors is the same furniture which furnishes the homes of the clients referred to the JRCC Furniture Depot. However, with the increasing number of clients being referred to the Furniture Depot, our operating costs have also increased. We need your help to bring the light to the homes of people in need.

Here are four ways you can support JRCC Furniture depot:

• Mail us a cheque- address it to JRCC Furniture Depot, 1416 Centre Street Unit 6 Thornhill, Ontario L4J 8A1
• Donate online via Canadahelps.org
• Call us up at 416-222-7105 ext. 248 and we can process your donation over the phone via credit card

 

An in-kind tax receipt will be provided for all donations to JRCC.

Happy Chanukah!

 

The JRCC Furniture Depot presently services an area spanning from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe. With such a large area to service, we are presently looking to partner with hotels, furniture stores and property developers looking to do something meaningful with the furniture that they will no longer be using. While being socially responsible, companies can take pride in knowing that their furniture donations will be environmentally responsible, and that their furniture will go straight to the homes of needy families in York Region.

 

Additionally, choosing to donate with JRCC furniture depot has its advantages:

 

• We have a fixed pickup charge – As opposed to standard moving companies, which charge by the hour, the JRCC furniture depot believes that furniture pickup services should be as efficient as possible – saving our time and yours!

 

• We provide an in kind tax receipt for donated items at fair market value – Instead of calling a junk removal company, which will simply charge for pickup and send your furniture to a landfill, furniture donations to the JRCC furniture depot will be given a tax receipt evaluated by CRA standards.

 

• The more you donate, you save – Often, furniture donations for many items can add up to a high pickup cost. To help reduce that, the JRCC furniture depot applies price reductions to pickup quotes with high volume of items – but the tax receipt stays the same!

 

• We have special offers for repeat donors (for companies) – Businesses like hotel chains and mattress companies interested in donating to JRCC on a recurring basis should contact us directly for corporate sponsorship opportunities.

 

While we already do a lot of great work, to continue what we are doing requires everyone’s help! Schedule a furniture pickup today! 416-222-7105 ext. 248