The mission of Hearts to Homes is to assist newly independent young adults who have just aged out of foster care. This alleviates some of the stress during the initial transition by providing the essentials to furnish a new home.

Many of these young adults leave foster care with few possessions and no family to help them make this transition. By helping to create a more comfortable living environment, we are able to positively impact the negative statistics of instability, homelessness, incarceration and multi-generational foster care that affect this demographic. Hearts to Homes complements other programs already in existence for foster youth, including job training, mentoring and financial literacy.

Hearts to Homes Furnishings, Inc. is a New York-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Donations to Hearts to Homes are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Who do we help?

Hearts to Homes does not take applications for assistance from individual young adults, but instead partners with some of the finest child welfare advocacy organizations in New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Nassau and Suffolk counties in order to assist young adults who are aging out.

We rely on these organizations to nominate qualified young adults who are aging out of foster care and:

  • are at least 18 years old,
  • are residents of NYC, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Nassau and Suffolk counties
  • have earned a high school diploma or have completed two parts of their GED.*

These referring partners provide programs and supportive services that help to ensure that each young adult is prepared for independence. The benefits provided by Hearts to Homes complement these existing support programs. Together, we improve the odds of a successful transition from foster care to independence.

Although we provide items that are needed only by young adults who are aging out of foster care, the assistance that Hearts to Homes provides has indirectly benefited over 125 infants, toddlers and young children whose homes we have helped furnish.  Nearly one-third of the young adults who are referred to us, age out of foster care as parents.  Hearts to Homes provides necessary support to these young parents, helping them create a safe family home.

*Effective June, 2022, a referred youth who is actively pursuing the completion of their GED, may be referred if they have passed any two parts of this exam.

Read testimonials from our young adults

Why do we help?

Hundreds of young adults age out of foster care into independent living in New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Nassau and Suffolk counties each year.* Generally, these young adults are 18 to 21 years of age. For a young adult who is aging out of foster care, a first apartment is expensive and requires a great deal of effort to put together. Both can be roadblocks for a successful transition and a productive life.

Governmental agencies do provide some funds to assist in the aging out/first apartment process. Those funds provide for first month’s rent, rental security deposits and utilities deposits. What remains, after those payments, might be enough for the young adult to purchase a bed and a dresser, leaving the rest of the apartment empty. With no cooking or cleaning items, nutrition and health can be compromised. This leaves a newly independent young adult in a precarious and depressing situation.

Many foundations and organizations make funds available to improve the odds of success in a young adult aging out of foster care. Job training, mentoring and financial literacy are examples of additional programming assistance that help to increase these odds. Hearts to Homes believes our program is a necessary and unique complement to these programs. After all, it is hard to be successful at a job without access to the items that help you to be presentable on the job – items like an iron and ironing board, a hair dryer or a shower curtain!

*Most recent data is for 2020

Read testimonials from our donors

Referring Agencies

What do our partners say?

“Youth aging out of foster care without support often do not finish school, are chronically unemployed, have no stable place to live. This must change!

We are proud of our partnership with Hearts to Homes! Together, we are supporting youth by making the transition to their adult lives much smoother.

While Children’s Village provides housing and a foundation for saving money and pursuing education and careers, Hearts to Homes provides home furnishings that make places feel like homes, giving our youth real encouragement as they make this difficult transition.

Hearts to Homes is a unique organization that makes a tremendous difference to our youth – thank you!”

Jeremy Kohomban, President and CEO
The Children’s Village

“Moving into a home of one’s own is a significant milestone for all young adults. Hearts to Homes honors the profound significance of this step for young people aging out of foster care and understands how anxiety-provoking it can be for even our most resilient and resourceful young people.

Through the generosity of Hearts to Homes, youth at JCCA receive the furnishings and decorations that make a house a home, helping create a space of their own that reflects the stability and support we want for them for years to come.”

Ronald E. Richter, CEO and Executive Director
JCCA

Read more testimonials from our agency partners

What does it cost to help?

Man with new apartment

There are a variety of ways that you can help and an option for every budget:

  • If you only have $10 to give, you can buy laundry detergent or oven mitts,
  • $25 will buy a tool set or a shower curtain,
  • $50 will buy a set of dishes and cutlery,
  • $75 will buy pots and pans, and
  • $100 will buy a comforter set and pillows.

If you have more support to give, you would be providing much-needed furniture:

  • $250 will buy a comfortable chair for the living room,
  • $500 will complete a bedroom, and
  • $1,000 will complete a kitchen and a bathroom.

Our volunteers continually source items on the Wish List to ensure that quality items are provided to our young adults at the lowest possible cost. The retail value of a completely furnished apartment is approximately $3,400. Thanks to discounts from some of our preferred vendors, we are able to provide these furnishings at a cost of approximately $3,100.

Please consider sharing our mission, and our current campaigns, with your friends.

It takes just a moment to help change a life.

Hearts to Homes is listed on GuideStar.

Non-Discriminatory Statement

Hearts to Homes does not, by policy or practice, discriminate against a person or group on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, marital or military status, or based on any individual’s status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law.