HELP - Home Essential Lending Place
The Home Essentials Lending Place (HELP) began in 2021 when IKEA Vaughan started donating household items and Human Endeavour volunteers collected and distributed them to families across York Region. Today, the Vaughan-based program provides furniture, mattresses, bedding, kitchen items, computers and prescription glasses at no cost to the families in need. Donors include IKEA Vaughan, LensCrafters, Punjabi Community Health Services, other local businesses, non-profit organizations and community members.
Through HELP, goods are repurposed to furnish homes for refugees, newcomers, and low-income families. Approximately 70% of received items are successfully diverted and reused, leaving only 30% discarded due to severe damage or missing parts, substantially reducing municipal landfill waste.
Human Endeavour serves around 1200-1600 individuals annually on average through HELP. In the year ending March 31, 2026, HELP distributed $166,056 worth of donated items to low-income families free of charge. Over the last year, HELP has distributed essential household goods, including 240 mattresses, 111 bed frames, 17 sofas, 180 bedding sets (duvets, pillows, and curtains), 230 clothing items, 30 computers, and prescription glasses from LenseCrafter.