Cornell gives used furniture new life, helps those in need

Since beginning her position at Cornell in 2018, Denise Hubbard, inventory coordinator for Student and Campus Life, has coordinated the donation of 6,650 items and has arranged the repair of more than 2,400 items for reuse on campus, either rehoming them or storing them for future use.

“Anything I can rehome, I do try to rehome,” Hubbard said. “For me, it’s personal. We’re leaving this planet to our children – I have three children myself – and if something is structurally sound and still has life in it, I want to try to help people and keep that furniture out of the landfill.”

Of all the donations she’s arranged, Hubbard said providing beds for children has been the most rewarding.

“When you hear that you’re making that kind of a difference, it’s very elating,” she said. “This could be in a landfill, but instead it’s keeping a child or adolescent, a teenager off of the floor.”

Hubbard will be honored with a 2022 President’s Award for Employee Excellence in the new category “Culture of Sustainability,” which recognizes employees who have contributed to creating a sustainable campus, community and culture.

To read more, see the full story on the Cornell Chronicle.