One girl. One call for help. This was the first event in the domino chain that led to the creation of the local Aberdeen nonprofit Fresh Start Furnishings.
Fresh Start Furnishings collects donations of furniture, dining tables, mattresses, household goods and new cleaning supplies and gives them directly for free to people in Harford County who need them, according to the wish list on their website.
With the help of over 70 volunteers, Fresh Start Furnishings runs a showroom for people who need the items to browse them. Volunteers also help to offer free pick up for those who wish to donate their items. More information on their volunteer opportunities can be found on their website.
Alternatively, ReSupply, a fee-based moving service, also partners with Fresh Start Furnishings to help donors who need moving assistance transport their furniture and larger items.
Alicia Hamilton, the founder of Fresh Start Furnishings, heard the call for help from a foster youth who needed furniture for the new home she was moving into.
“She didn’t have anything except for a $300 gift card to Walmart,” Hamilton said. “I reached out to my community and was able to take her a truckload of items, sofas, tables, beds…everything to furnish her first apartment.”
The situation called Hamilton to recognize and reassess the needs of those in her community.
“It’s something that was really on my heart,” Hamilton said. “I asked ‘did other people have this need?’ As it turns out, that is a resounding yes.”
So, Hamilton and two ladies from local churches started working together to help people acquire the things they needed.
“What we’ve learned over the past ten years is that this need far exceeds anything that we thought,” Hamilton said.
Fresh Start Furnishings started out by furnishing about five homes a month. In 2018, they moved into a showroom space and were able to increase that number to approximately 16 homes a month. Currently, in 2025, they are furnishing on average 30 homes a month.
“There is actually research being done to show just how critically important some of the basics like a bed to sleep on and a table to eat a meal on and a sofa to relax on are,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton believes that every person who opens their front door will feel like a more whole person because of the positive impact that their furniture has made on their quality of life.
For more information about furniture poverty, Fresh Start’s impact, or the Decade of Making a Difference Campaign, visit FreshStartMD.org/decade-of-difference-campaign.
About Fresh Start Furnishings:
Fresh Start Furnishings is Harford County’s only furniture bank, providing essential furniture and home goods for free to individuals and families transitioning from crisis. Since 2016, the organization has furnished thousands of homes through community donations and volunteer support. Fresh Start is committed to ensuring every household has the dignity, comfort, and stability that only a furnished home provides.
Media Contact:
Alicia Hamilton
[email protected]
443-519-2464 ext. 7
