We had the good fortune of connecting with Carolyn Flannery and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
I think what I am most proud of about Make It Home is the social impact we have made in such a short amount of time. In just 2 ½ years since opening our doors, we have furnished 1,221 households in 7 Bay Area counties. That is over 2,645 people who are now sleeping on beds, eating at tables, cooking with pots and pans, and doing homework in areas lit by lamps. We have also diverted a whopping 1,343 tons of furnishings from sitting in landfill. The need is growing and, with the help of the community and corporate donors, we are growing in capacity to meet it!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I established the non-profit Make It Home in 2020, during the pandemic, and it was a natural culmination of many of my passions. As a long-time interior designer, I had first-hand experience with the waste in the design industry, where damaged shipments and “refreshed” furniture often were tossed out to sit in landfills. At the same time, I had begun volunteering with Marin Foster Care where I saw youth aging out of the system and moving into empty apartments with nothing – completely unable to afford even the simplest of furniture. To address some of my frustrations, I began saving some of the cast-off furniture in my garage to give to these kids. What began in my garage grew into Make It Home, a non-profit furniture bank that provides gently-used, donated furniture and other household goods to individuals and families transitioning out of crisis, whether they be aging out foster youth, formerly homeless, domestic violence survivors, refugees from war, or anyone else in need. Make It Home addresses both furniture poverty and waste in design, all while keeping useful furnishings and household goods out of landfill.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am spoiled to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the most beautiful and vibrant areas in the world. Good design is everywhere in the Bay Area. I take great inspiration from California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, both the design of its building and its innovative living roof, as well as everything inside. Be sure to check out the bison while in Golden Gate Park..Heath Ceramics in SF also is full of thoughtful design. Other can’t miss sites in San Francisco are the Exploratorium, the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, and Crissy Field. A visit to the City would not be complete without time in North Beach eating at Tony’s Pizza and visiting nearby Coit tower.

Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge is spectacular and brings you to Marin County – my backyard. Visiting the unparalleled nature of Muir Woods and Stinson Beach fill me with inspiration, awe, and hope, all necessary in today’s world. And, while in Marin, visiting San Rafael and my hometown, go-to restaurants, The Kitchen Table and San Jose Taqueria, are must-do Bay Area activities.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Hands down, I would like to dedicate my shoutout to foster kids. The time I have spent with these kids is what has sent me down my current path. Their need for community combined with their resilience inspires me daily to fight for a better future and safe home base for them.

Website: www.makeithomebayarea.org

Instagram: makeithomebayarea

Linkedin: makeithome

Image Credits
Photo credits go to Eric Zepeda Photography.

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