Meet Raxon

Raxon and his son Raxlander.

“Coming to Matthew House Ottawa Furniture Bank and receiving the items we needed was a big relief.” - Raxon

Since 2010, Matthew House Ottawa has housed hundreds of refugee claimants, and provided free, quality used furniture to about 5000 families in need. We have done this as a large, dedicated team of volunteers and a small handful of employees, with a lot of passion and commitment. Each month we will be sharing interviews and stories of people involved with or impacted by our work. Here is one of them.

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What’s your name? Raxon

Have you always lived in Ottawa? No, I lived in Haiti before moving to Ottawa.

Did you have any furniture when you were referred to MHO: Furniture Bank?

We didn’t have any furniture at all. We had a house and the owner of the house told me about the furniture bank.

Can you describe your experience at the furniture bank?

The volunteers were very helpful and made us feel very welcome and at a home. The volunteers were very good at helping us select the furniture we needed. I could feel the passion and compassion the volunteers had for helping others. In fact, the experience was so positive that it inspired me to become a volunteer at MHO: Furniture Bank to give back to the community. Also, I am making monthly donations to support the work of Matthew House Ottawa.

What did you need most from the furniture bank?

We needed everything, especially chairs and kitchen items.

Were you able to find most of the items you needed?

Yes, we were able to get a sofa, table, chairs, kitchen items and a bed frame for my son. We were very satisfied with the items that we received.

Can you share how Matthew House Ottawa has helped you and your family?

It was a big burden to have no furniture and no money to buy any furniture. Coming to MHO: Furniture Bank and receiving the items we needed was a big relief. It took the burden off my shoulders.

It was an amazing experience because we were a family in need and the volunteers understood what we were going through and wanted to help us. It was very inspiring to see how hard the volunteers worked to help other people.

Interview and story by Barb Koppe.

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Wanna help? Here is how you can make a difference in our community through Matthew House Ottawa:

Pray: for past, present and future residents and furniture bank clients

Donate: to sustain and grow our impact

Volunteer: with our refugee services program or furniture bank

*Note: interviews have been edited for clarity