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Winnipeg Free Press

‘Helping neighbours'

North End One non-profit is aiming to help mitigate furniture poverty through community connection, understanding, and a lot of elbow sweat. The North End-based Oyate Tipi Cumini Yape — which is Oji-Cree for 'where the community meets sharing and recycling' — furniture bank was founded in 2004, but has made remarkable growth since 2022. In recent years, the non-profit has more than doubled its staff, developed several volunteering and internship programs with post-secondary schools such as MITT and the University of Manitoba, and has grown to what's now 49 local referral partners, which connect them to those in need of furniture. 'It's a closed-door issue,' said Greg Georgeson, executive director, of furniture poverty. 'People don't really know it's happening … how many families are struggling.' Imagine a teenager, for example, Georgeson said, housed but without a bed, furniture, utensils to cook or clean with, or any of the objects needed to make a house, a home. 'It hits all the bases,' he said — self-esteem, mental and physical health, and motivation to excel in school or work. As well, people in poverty who are housed but don't have furniture at home are far more likely to return to homelessness — 'over 80 per cent,' Georgeson said, due to a lack of community. As someone who's experienced furniture poverty himself, Georgeson can also speak to how common it is, especially in the city's core. People who come through Oyate Tipi are referred by one of the partners, interviewed, and then welcomed into the centre at 429 Dufferin Ave. to browse and 'shop' through the collection of clean, repaired, (environmentally conscious) pest-controlled couches, chairs, beds and bedding, china and dishes, utensils, and more. Although most are donated — from individuals, as well as IKEA — many of the bedframes are also made on-site in a woodworking room by volunteers. Over 185 beds have been made over the last month, according to Georgeson, by 20 to 30 volunteers on any given day. Many of the volunteers involved in programs at the organization are also from the same communities Oyate Tipi aims to serve: Indigenous youth, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, youth who have been through the justice system, and those living in downtown neighbourhoods, to name a few. As well, youth volunteerism, as well as internships, at the bank can often pave the way for becoming paid staff in the future. The very personalized, friendly experience, as well as giving autonomy to participants and volunteers, is what Oyate Tipi has a heavy focus on. 'You can't connect to community by providing things, connection is the broken part,' said Lyle Mustard, communications co-ordinator. 'While our primary resource is providing resources, it's community connection that's important.' Mustard is Métis, and stressed the importance of the furniture bank's role in Indigenous communities, as many participants are facing generational trauma and a loss of stability due to the lasting impact of residential schools. Photo by Emma Honeybun Oyate Tipi Cumini Yape is a referral-based furniture bank in the North End. Alongside helping those facing furniture poverty, it provides volunteer and internship opportunities for youth living in the area, as well as temporary storage for those moving away from unsafe living situations. He said that the way Oyate Tipi aims to help people is to help them like neighbours, because oftentimes, they are. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. 'This is real life,' he said. 'We have people with lived experiences.' Alongside the furniture bank and volunteering programming, Oyate Tipi provides education through talks and seminars and offers temporary storage for those in the process of moving out of unsafe situations. People interested in volunteering either independently or through their workplace are encouraged to reach out. The organization also accepts monetary donations and furniture donations for the bank. Furniture pick-up comes with a fee, which goes toward staff wages and keeping the organization afloat. For more information, visit or follow @oyatetipi on Instagram and Facebook. Emma Honeybun Emma Honeybun is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. She graduated RRC Polytech's creative communications program, with a specialization in journalism, in 2023. Email her at Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.