< PreviousLast year Sheila, Tommy and their three kids were living in a hotel. Today, home for the family is a fully furnished apartment in Southeast Raleigh. The Realtor Foundation of Wake County has partnered with The Green Chair Project and Family Promise. Family Promise’s mission is to transform the lives of families experienc- ing temporary homelessness by helping them find support services and safe, affordable and permanent housing in our community. “Our company’s sponsorship provided fur- nishings for a three-bedroom apartment for a formerly homeless family. We selected fur- niture, art and lamps as well as sheets, tow- els and comforters. The Green Chair movers brought them all to the apartment where we then made beds, unpacked kitchen supplies and hung art- work. With a little elbow grease and cleaning supplies we were able to transform an entire apartment into a warm cozy home!” said Laura Martin, Owner and Counsel of Magnolia Title Company, LLC and volunteer with The REALTOR Foundation of Wake County, Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Charitable Foundation. The foun- dation is one of 55 agencies that partners with The Green Chair Project The Green Chair Project was launched in 2010 by Beth Smoot and Jackie Craig who did real estate home staging in the Triangle and consistently found that homeowners had too much stuff in their houses – stuff they didn’t want to go to waste but no longer had a need for. Green Chair picks up the furniture from the homeown- er. It’s cleaned and repaired by volunteers and are present- ed in a way that promotes dignity and respect. For a small fee, families working with case managers from partnering agencies can select furniture, linens, cookware and acces- sories to outfit their new homes. The work of The Green Chair hit home with Martin who was raised in California by a single mother. “We were on food stamps. I remember not having anything to sleep on but a mat. I know what it’s like to come home to a bare apartment,” said Martin. “A bed, a table and chairs and some furnishings can be converted into a very comfy apartment.” The apartments are provided by CASA which helps find housing for persons of low wealth; specifically, those who are disabled, homeless, or veterans who currently lack af- fordable housing in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. “We have partnered with The Green Chair Project and nonprofits including CASA, Families Together, Family Promise and CASA to provide the funding and volunteers to fully furnish 43 apartments,” said Martin. “It’s a won- derful organization that is changing lives right here in the Triangle.” THIS STORY WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY DONATIONS TO LEGAL AID BY MAGNOLIA TITLE COMPANY LLC AND ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE. TO DONATE FURNITURE TO THE GREEN CHAIR PROJECT, GO TO: WWW.THEGREENCHAIR.ORG/FORM-DONATE- HOUSEHOLD-GOODS.PHP The Green Chair Project Changing Lives in the Triangle WRITTEN BY BOB FRIEDMAN SHEILA, TOMMY AND THEIR KIDS KEN MARTIN AND LAURA MARTIN AND HEATHER THOMPSON ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · NORTH CAROLINA TRIANGLE VOL. 8 NO. 1 30n Structured Settlements n Special Needs Trusts n Alternative Trust Solutions n Medicare Set-Aside Services n Qualified Settlement Funds n Lien Resolution Helping your clients achieve peace of mind and financial security in cases involving: Assisting you and your clients with a wide range of personalized, comprehensive settlement planning services involving: n Personal Injury n Workers Compensation n Wrongful Conviction n Employment Litigation n Emotional Distress n Sexual Harassment n Punitive Damages n Attorney Fee Structures TACKER LeCARPENTIER, JD, CSSC – PRESIDENT P | 919.247.9070 F | 888.639.9816 TACKER@SETTLEMENTPLANNINGLLC.COM SETTLEMENTPLANNINGLLC.COM NEW! ATTORNEY FEE STRUCTURES WITH NO ANNUITIES. Deferred Compensation with Your Own Investment Strategy Over 28 Years of Litigation and Settlement Planning Experience SECURING YOUR CLIENT’S FUTURE NEEDS AFFILIATE Assisting you and your clients with a wide range of personalized, comprehensive settlement planning services involving: l Structured Settlements l Special Needs Trusts l Alternative Trust Solutions l Medicare Set-Aside Services l Attorney Fee Structures l Qualified Settlement Funds l Lien Resolution Working with you to help your clients achieve peace of mind and financial security in cases involving: l Personal Injury l Workers Compensation l Wrongful Conviction l Employment Litigation l Emotional Distress l Sexual Harassment l Punitive Damages 919.247.9070 tacker@settlementplanningllc.com 888.639.9816 settlementplanningllc.com TACKER LeCARPENTIER, JD, CSSC President f MEMBER PRESIDENT’S CLUB MEMBER NORTH CAROLINA ADVOCATES for JUSTICE STRATEGIC PARTNER Please welcome my colleague, Annette Fields, who will assist me on all Settlement Planning Services cases. She brings years of experience in handling structured settlements and I am grateful to have her join me. Annette can be reached directly at annette@summitsettlements.com. AFFILIATEMEMBERSTRATEGIC PARTNERPRESIDENT’S CLUB MEMBER SECURING YOUR CLIENT’S FUTURE NEEDSNext >