Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture In The Community

Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture recently helped furnish the New England Sinai Hospital’s new Simulated Living Center, in Stoughton, with a love seat, swivel rocker, cocktail table, and end table. The Simulated Living Center is a special set of rooms where the hospital’s physical and occupational therapists help patients learn or relearn the skills necessary for real life after having suffered a stroke or physical injury.

 “This is a very worthwhile project and we were happy to donate the furniture they needed to make the Living Center an attractive, realistic space for patients to learn the skills necessary to speed their recovery and return home,” said Bernie Rubin, co-founder of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture.

Based in Norton, MA, Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture is one of the largest furniture retailers in New England. The family-run business has six stores in: Braintree, MA; Hyannis, MA; Nashua, NH; Raynham, MA; Saugus, MA; and Westboro, MA.

 Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture received the prestigious Better Business Bureau Local Torch Award for Excellence, in 2007 and 2004, which is given to companies that embody the highest ethical standards. In 2002, the company was named “Retailer of the Year” by the National Home Furnishings Association, which is the highest honor in the retail home furnishings industry. The company ranks among the Top 100 furniture stores in the country according to Furniture/Today magazine.

Raynham, MA, November 27, 2006 – Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are partnering this holiday season to collect toys for The Home for Little Wanderers’ (The Home) Big Wishes for Little Wanderers holiday gift drive.  The gift drive will run from November 27 through December 15 and will support the at-risk children and families that The Home serves.

People who are interested in donating new, unwrapped toys and/or gift certificates can drop the items off at all of Bernie & Phyl’s stores including its Raynham location, 244 New State Highway, or at the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Taunton located at 40 Summer Street.

The Home needs toys for children ranging in age from infant to 13 years old, but also has an urgent need for gifts for the 14 to 18 year old teenagers in its care.  Teenagers are frequently overlooked during the holiday giving season.  Some great gift ideas for teenagers are gift certificates to clothing outlets, music stores, and online retailers.  Additional suggestions include school supplies, sporting goods, personal items such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, and hair and skin products.

Anyone interested in choosing a gift from a child’s personal wish list can visit www.thehome.org and click on “Big Wishes.”  People who don’t have time to deliver a gift, can shop from a general list of gift ideas on www.bigwishesforlittlewanderers.com and have the gift delivered directly to The Home’s Toy Room free of charge.

“The Home for Little Wanderers helps so many kids and families throughout our community,” said Bernie Rubin, chairman and co-founder of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture.  “We hope our neighbors will join us in bringing happiness and joy to the numerous children and families who need us this holiday season.”

The Home for Little Wanderers is a nationally renowned, private, non-profit child and family service agency providing services to thousands of children and families, through 20 programs.  The mission of The Home is to ensure the healthy emotional, mental, and social development of children at risk, their families, and communities.  With a history dating back to 1799, The Home for Little Wanderers is the oldest child welfare agency in the nation, and the largest in New England.

Based in Norton, MA, Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture is one of the largest furniture retailers in New England with six stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  In 2004, Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture received the prestigious Better Business Bureau Local Torch Award for Excellence, which is given to companies that embody the highest ethical standards.  In 2002, the company was named “Retailer of the Year” by the National Home Furnishings Association, which is the highest honor in the retail home furnishings industry.  The company ranks 67 among the Top 100 furniture stores in the country according to Furniture/Today magazine.  The retailer has six stores in New England: Braintree (50,000 s/f); Nashua, NH (86,000 s/f); Raynham, MA (55,000 s/f); Saugus, MA (50,000 s/f); Westboro, MA (42,000 s/f); and Weymouth, MA (Bedding and Clearance Center).

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is the largest residential real estate brokerage company in New England. With more than 5,500 sales associates and staff in more than 100 office locations, the organization serves consumers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is a member of the NRT family of companies. NRT Incorporated, a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation (NYSE: H), operates Realogy’s company-owned real estate brokerage offices.  For more information please visit www.NewEnglandMoves.com.

 

Raynham, MA, November 27, 2006 – Rick Loughlin, (left) president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, joins furniture mavens Bernie and Phyllis Rubin, co-founders of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture, to deliver the first of the holiday toys for the Home For Little Wanderers’ annual toy drive.  The gift drive will run from November 27 through December 15 and will support the at-risk children and families that The Home serves.  People who are interested in donating new, unwrapped toys and/or gift certificates can drop the items off at all of Bernie & Phyl’s stores or at participating Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offices.

Norton, MA, July 31, 2006 — Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture co-founder and chairman Bernie Rubin and Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield recently filmed a series of public service announcements at the Home for Little Wanderers’ Boston Early Intervention (BEI) program in Brighton urging people to become involved in their community.  The Home for Little Wanderers is a favorite charity of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture and the Red Sox.  Pictured from left to right: Bernie Rubin, Tim Wakefield, and Lisa Rowan-Gillis, vice president for development and communications at the Home.

Norton, MA, September 23, 2005 — Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture recently donated new furniture for the waiting and interview rooms of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County (CAC). The CAC is an interagency public/private partnership dedicated to minimizing trauma to children and families when concerns of abuse and violence arise. The Center coordinates the services available to child abuse victims and each year more than 1,000 children and their caretakers visit the CAC to talk about difficult events in their lives.

The CAC recently moved into new expanded space at the Boston Family Justice Center on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. The new furniture will help make this space a friendlier and more welcoming environment for the children who use it.

“Bernie & Phyl’s cares about families in our community – including families and children that are in trouble and need help. We’re pleased that our furniture will help ease a stressful time for the people who come to the Children’s Advocacy Center,” said Bernie Rubin, co-founder and chairman of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture.

Raynham, MA, August 1, 2005 — Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture was recently thanked by Teen Challenge New England, of Brockton, MA, for donating nearly $1,000,000 worth of furniture to the organization over the past year and a half.  Teen Challenge sells the donated goods through its thrift store to help support youth and adults with life controlling addictions become established in society through mentoring, counseling, education, and job training.  Bernie and Phyllis Rubin, co-founders of Bernie & Phyl’s, were presented with a special award during a tour of the Teen Challenge thrift shop and facilities.  Pictured from left to right: Bernie and Phyllis Rubin, Nicole Mazzarella, manager of the thrift shop, and Richard Longo, program development director.

Norton, MA, June 1, 2005 — Joan Wallace-Benjamin, President and CEO of The Home for Little Wanderers, presents Bernie and Phyllis Rubin, co-founders of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture, with some artwork as a token of appreciation for the company supplying furniture for one of the organization’s group homes.  The Rubins received the gift recently at the Home’s 15th annual “Voices & Visions” Art and Creative Writing Event, which was attended by 200 donors who raised $75,000 for The Home for Little Wanderers, New England’s oldest and largest child welfare agency.  Pictured from left to right: Joan Wallace-Benjamin, Phyllis and Bernie Rubin, and Jack Harrington, a Home for Little Wanderers board member.

Norton, MA, May 12, 2005 – Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture and Amesbury Chair Company recently donated a dining room table and eight chairs to the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston.  The hospital recently renovated a room in their mental health unit where families can meet with hospital staff to determine a course of treatment for their child.  The furniture was given to the hospital to make the space more welcoming and hospitable.  This is Bernie & Phyl’s second donation to the hospital.  Last fall, they donated ten rocker gliders that are currently in use throughout the facility.  Pictured from left to right: Mike Green, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Amesbury Chair Company; Larry Rubin, Chief Executive Officer of Bernie & Phyl’s; Rob Rubin, President of Merchandising and Marketing for Bernie & Phyl’s; and Ralph J. Buonopane, Ph.D., Program Director for the McLean-Franciscan Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program.

Norton, MA, January 7, 2005 – Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture recently helped furnish a new group home for the Home for Little Wanderers. Bernie & Phyl’s, a long-time supporter of the Home for Little Wanderers, donated furniture for the living room, dining room, entertainment room, and bedrooms of the new home. The entire project was dubbed an “Extreme Makeover” by WCVB-TV Channel 5, which helped coordinate the project, because the site – an old convent in Roxbury, MA – had to be renovated in less than a month so that the kids could move in by Christmas. Hundreds of volunteers and other businesses joined Bernie & Phyl’s in donating goods and services to make the transformation a reality.

The project was close to the retailer’s heart because the children moving into the new group home are the same ones that have participated in the “Bernie’s Baseball Buddies” program for the past four years. Each year, the company hosts the kids at a special event and game at Fenway Park. The Home for Little Wanderers is New England’s largest child and family service agency, providing services to an estimated 10,000 children with over 25 programs each year.

“This was such a great project. And being able to help these kids in particular was very special to us. We know these kids and love them. Helping them make their new house a real home was an honor for us,” said Bernie Rubin, co-founder of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture.

 

Saugus, MA, November 19, 2004 — Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture just kicked off a major toy drive for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program at all of their large stores.  The Rubin family, which owns Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture, (left to right, son Rob Rubin, daughter Michelle Pepé, Bernie Rubin, son Larry Rubin, and Phyllis Rubin are shown here with Sgt. Maj. Kip W. Carpenter), encourages other families to drop by the Saugus store sometime between November 22 and December 19 to bring a new unwrapped toy in its original packaging to contribute to the toy drive.