Shade Tree receives furniture donations

Trade show exhibitors give floor models to shelter

The Shade Tree emergency shelter for homeless women and children in crisis received some unexpected benefits from late July's "Furniture Week" that featured the Las Vegas Furniture Show, the opening of downtown's World Market Center Las Vegas furniture mart and several other local furniture shows.

At the close of the Las Vegas Furniture Show at the Sands Expo, several manufacturers donated their display couches, chairs, tables, lamps and rugs to the shelter. Comforpedic also pledged to provide as many mattresses as the shelter needs.

"This is such a blessing," said Brenda Dizon, executive director of The Shade Tree. "We are always in need of furniture. We help women set up homes, and the fact that we will be able to provide new furniture is fantastic."

The Shade Tree shelter's mission is to provide women in crisis with life-changing services promoting stability, dignity and self-reliance. The charity shelters more than 6,000 women and children each year.

Stephan Phelps, president of Triad Expositions, the producer of the show, said he wanted to give something back to the community after the first-ever Las Vegas Furniture Show.

"We considered a few different options," Phelps said. "Shade Tree jumped out at me. Our exhibitors jumped at it."

Six different exhibitors donated thousands of dollars of goods to the charity. Local teamsters also donated time, equipment and labor to load trucks and deliver furniture to The Shade Tree.

"The cause is very worthwhile," Oregon-based Stanton International's merchandising assistant Debra Unruh said as she placed green stickers on chairs the company planned to donate. "I think it's wonderful."

The donations turned out to be a practical benefit for the manufacturers as well as the shelter.

"These (manufacturers) don't want to pack this stuff up and ship it all back," Phelps said. "It's too much trouble and too expensive."

The Las Vegas Furniture Show featured more than 300,000 square feet of exhibit space and 100 manufacturers. Phelps estimated about 12,000 people attended the first show.

"It's been wild, fabulous," he said. "The show has far exceeded my expectations."

Organizers plan to return the show to Las Vegas every six months and will continue to donate furniture to local charities, Phelps said.

"We may expand to other charities if we get more donations than (The Shade Tree) needs," he said.