Mattress Firm Donates $50,000 to Help Youth Aging Out of the Foster Care System
HOUSTON, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Mattress Firm announced that it will donate $50,000 to teens aging out of the foster care system through its partnership with the Ticket to Dream Foundation. As part of the $50,000 donation, Mattress Firm asked nonprofit foster care partners to nominate deserving former foster youth to receive home makeovers through its “Home Is Where the Start Is” initiative. The company reviewed countless submissions from across the country and selected two families to receive complete home makeovers.
After learning that the Pippins family of Fort Worth, Texas had lost everything in a fire, Mattress Firm surprised them with a home makeover including new mattresses, furniture, appliances and home décor, just in time for the holidays. Mattress Firm also made over and refurnished the apartment of a former foster child in Phoenix named Madalyn, who recently lost her 3-month-old child due to heart complications and wanted to refresh her space to create room for happier memories. Also, the company is donating $1,000 each to 10 additional nominees to assist with furnishing their homes, including household items, décor and groceries.
“Ticket to Dream is thrilled to work with Mattress Firm to create a fresh start for youth that have aged out of foster care. The struggles foster youth face when aging out are staggering. Homelessness, unemployment and feelings of inadequacy run rampant,” said Gina Davis, president and executive director of Ticket to Dream. “With Mattress Firm’s donation, we are making over the apartments of two former foster youth and their children so they can feel more at home. We’re also helping 10 aged-out foster youth purchase $1,000 in apartment essentials. We’re overjoyed to bring these gifts of hope to youth who have seen too many hardships.”
