Seventhfury Studios Blog

Last Friday, November 16th, my wife and I went to volunteer for a three-hour shift at a organization called Bridging. At first, we didn’t know what to expect because we had never heard of Bridging and this volunteer day had been set up through her work. When we got there, we couldn’t believe the experience we were about to have.

Bridging is a non-profit 501(c)(3), operating 75,000 square feet of warehouse space in Bloomington, Roseville, and St. Cloud, Minnesota. Bridging was founded on the simple concept that community resources should be shared with those in need. Basically, Bridging takes donated furniture and home items and donates them to families and people in need.

Bridging benefits those in desperate need including refugees, immigrants, victims of family violence, natural disasters and the homeless, who are given a sense of dignity and stability as they rebuild their lives. Bridging serves approximately 160 households a week and operates with a small paid staff of employees. They rely upon over 3,000 individual and group volunteers who donate over 80,000 hours annually, the equivalent of 40 full time positions. Each household receives an average of $2,300 in furniture and household goods during their visit.

We couldn’t believe the list of regularly donating companies, including Target, Slumberland, and many more. You can get more information on what to donate here. You can even legally donate mattresses, because they are thoroughly inspected and only accepted in certain conditions. The reason this is legal is because they are not being resold, but donated. Mattresses are the most needed item, as the constant belief is that once a mattress has been used it is garbage.

During our shift we assembled furniture that had been donated in brand-new condition from Target. Seeing our completed pieces at the end of the day really made us happy because we knew they were going to be in the home of a family within the week. That’s how fast these pieces move, because that’s how high the demand truly is.

Happy Panda Baby was kind enough to hook my cousin’s daughter Cassie up with some hip baby apparel, and she’s lookin’ cute! Check out her photos to see more of Happy Panda Baby’s stylish clothing.

Every year we have an ultimate Halloween bash complete with prizes, themed drinks and plenty of costumes. This year’s Horrorfest X (aptly named as it was the 10th annual) was a complete success, and I’m wishing I was still there! This year my costume was the Joker, and my wife went as Batwoman. What a blast! Here’s a little taste of the action..