“There’s a need and I have a means to help others, therefore there’s no reason not to. Plus I really enjoy meeting people,” says Nathalie.

“If you could come out on an evening and see the environment they’re moving into – a totally empty house that echoes when you talk, maybe just a mattress on the floor – you understand why we’ve got to do this,” adds Buffey.

The pair started "Helping With Furniture" in November 2005, after the two Beacon Hill residents volunteered for their church's outreach program. At the time, a church leader working for the Catholic Immigration Centre's Reception House explained how many refugees come to Canada with virtually nothing.

Buffey and Nathalie, who both own home-based daycares, decided they would help by using Nathalie's 15-seater van to collect furniture left by the side of the road.

The small operation soon grew and they’ve since provided accessories and décor for more than 100 families. Their team of dedicated volunteers collects furniture throughout the week and moves it into the homes of two or three families every Wednesday. Nowadays, instead of combing the curb for discarded furniture, they receive most donations via e-mail offers at helpingwithfurniture@hotmail.com.

But don't think this is the perfect opportunity to finally get rid of that hideous purple couch from the '60s – Buffey says they won’t accept just any cast-off.

“We feel whatever furniture we give to a family should be the same quality we would put in our own house,” she explains. “We live in a wealthy country – they shouldn’t have to put up with just anything . . . we make sure furniture matches so the families are comfortable with what they have and hopefully won’t be in a rush to replace it and can put their money to other areas.”

They find those in need through the immigration centre, which provides them with names of refugee families, many of whom come from Congo, Rwanda, Colombia or Haiti.

“For the majority of them there’s a lot of gratitude and we feel that’s really unnecessary,” says Buffey. “We say, “No problem – we’re just helping a neighbour’.”

-- Written by Tina Barton