Heart of the Home

Program Established:

2019-2020

Purpose of Program

Heart of the Home provides new household essentials, including kitchen items and linens, to families in need. The program supports basic household stability while promoting dignity and comfort for the families it serves.

Lift Up Carolinas volunteers holding new comforter sets and pillows for Heart of the Home families

How We Help

Habitat for Humanity: Kitchen and Pantry Kits
Heart of the Home assists selected families with children who move into Habitat for Humanity homes in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. Home-cooked meals are generally less expensive and more nutritious than fast food, and new homeowners have given the program very favorable evaluations. Every family receives:

  • A Kitchen Kit (approximately $600 value, about 40 items): toaster oven, hand mixer, slow cooker, pots and pans set, basic food preparation items, bowls and pans for mixing and baking, food storage set, place settings for 8 (dishes, glassware and silverware), cooking utensils, dishwashing and basic cleaning supplies, a collapsible laundry basket and a trash bin.
  • A Pantry Kit (approximately $200 value, more than 50 items): paper goods, basic baking needs, condiments and seasonings, pasta and sauce, canned goods, dishwashing essentials and additional cleaning products.

Furnish For Good: Appliances and Kitchen Kits
Furnish For Good became a Lift Up Carolinas partner in January 2026. Together we provide a small appliance and a storage bin filled with 15 kitchen items to help furnish a start-up kitchen for unhoused families moving into permanent housing. Each family chooses a crockpot, toaster or coffee pot. The bin includes basic food preparation items, bowls and pans for mixing and baking, cutting boards, kitchen knives, a can opener, cooking utensils, and pots and pans.

Foster Village
Heart of the Home made a one-time donation to Foster Village of a toaster/air fryer oven and a storage bin of kitchen items, identical to the bin given through Furnish For Good. The items are used in their Cottage Home, a reunification facility for children and families working to be permanently reunited after foster care.

Program Impacts 2025-2026

  • 99 families (120 adults and 177 children) received new kitchen items to start their new homes
  • 39 Habitat for Humanity families received Kitchen Kits and Pantry Kits
  • 60 Furnish For Good families received appliances and kitchen kits
  • 1 one-time donation to Foster Village's Cottage Home reunification facility

Funding

Heart of the Home is funded through foundation grants, private and corporate donations, chapter fundraising events, and the Lift Up Carolinas Thrift Shop.

Get Involved

Your support makes this possible. Whether you donate, volunteer, or shop at our thrift store, you help ensure that every family moving into a new home has the essentials they need to feel settled and comfortable.