More Than Furniture

COMMUNITY IMPACT

More Than Furniture

Restoring dignity, hope, and a sense of home—one family at a time

By Malikka D. Karteron  |  President & CEO, Global25 International

I have always understood the responsibility to give back. “To whom much is given, much is required” is more than a familiar saying to me—it is a principle that has shaped my life, my work, and Global25’s commitment to serving communities.

A Lifelong Commitment to Service

My journey in community service formally began when I was a Girl Scout attending meetings at Roy Wilkins Park. In tenth grade, community service was part of the curriculum, and I volunteered at a soup kitchen serving meals at City Harvest and distributed sandwiches at Penn Station. That experience changed me. Speaking directly with people experiencing homelessness revealed lives, struggles, and family stories far more complex than what I had seen portrayed in the news.

When I later addressed the student body, I shared the words, “There but for the grace of God go I.” The lesson stayed with me: proximity creates understanding. When we meet people face-to-face and listen without judgment, statistics become human stories—and compassion becomes action.

“Proximity creates understanding. Statistics become human stories—and compassion becomes action.”

Turning Corporate Resources Into Community Impact

For the past 20 years, my professional life has centered on advocacy, grant writing, education, policy, program implementation, and quality assurance for initiatives serving children and families living below the poverty line. This past year brought a meaningful opportunity to extend that work through Global25’s collaboration with the New Terminal One at JFK and Vanderlande on a furniture donation initiative.

The project directly reflects Global25’s environmental, social, and governance focus: useful furniture was redirected to households that needed it, while community-centered coordination helped ensure that donations reached families with dignity and care. Global25 helped identify recipient families and conducted site visits before delivery, allowing us to understand each household’s circumstances firsthand.

When a House Begins to Feel Like Home

The deliveries were deeply emotional. Mother(s) cried as rooms were transformed. Families celebrated the arrival of furniture that many of us might take for granted. One father said he was “overwhelmed in a good way.” Another recipient looked forward to welcoming relatives for the holidays now that the apartment was furnished.

These were not simply deliveries of tables, chairs, bedroom furniture or household pieces. The donations improved families’ physical surroundings, relieved stress, supported emotional well-being, and restored a sense of pride. They helped turn living spaces into homes.

“These were not simply furniture deliveries. They helped turn living spaces into homes.”

The Need Beyond a Single Delivery

The experience also revealed needs that one visit could not address. Families asked about school supplies, clothing, and other essentials for themselves and their children. In some cases, the size or scale of a donated item did not fit the family’s apartment, underscoring the importance of matching assistance to the realities of each household.

For Global25, this reinforced a central belief: wraparound services have the greatest potential to change the trajectory of children, families, and communities. A family may need furniture today, school supplies tomorrow, and connections to educational, workforce, health, or social-service resources after that. Lasting impact requires listening, coordination, and sustained partnership.

A Vision for Ongoing Support

Global25 seeks to expand this initiative into an ongoing, responsive program shaped by families’ needs and the size of their homes. The goal is to build a broader network of corporate donors, community partners, volunteers, and service providers so that assistance can be practical, timely, and connected to additional resources.

The New Terminal One and Vanderlande furniture donation initiative changed the immediate circumstances of participating families. Just as importantly, it reminded them that people and institutions still care. That sense of care can renew hope—and hope can be the beginning of transformation.

THE GLOBAL25 COMMITMENTGlobal25 will continue connecting resources with real community needs—building partnerships that support dignity, strengthen families, and create pathways toward lasting opportunity.