Oct 23, 2017

The home and gift industry creates Lifeline to support feeding America’s natural disaster relief efforts

The U.S. gift and home furnishings industry is responding to the essential needs of people affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and the California wildfires with LIFELINE, a national program to fund food and water provisions organized by Gift For Life and AmericasMart Atlanta. Contributions will be distributed to people in need through and in association with Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief charity.

Gift For Life is the partnership between the gift, home and stationery industries historically committed to raising funds supporting HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and education.  AmericasMart Atlanta is the global wholesale marketplace serving gift and home furnishings retailers and designers from every U.S. state and more than 70 nations.

LIFELINE will channel monetary donations for the provision of food and water to communities impacted by the recent disasters through Feeding America member food banks.  Donors can make tax-deductible credit card and e-check contributions via the secured LIFELINE page on Feeding America website www.feedingamerica.org/giftforlife.  Donations by check and cash will not be accepted.

All associated with the gift and home furnishings industry—including retailers, retail buying groups, product manufacturers, product designers, sales organizations and service providers—are eligible to participate and encouraged to contribute.

AmericasMart Atlanta has initiated LIFELINE funding with a $40,000 donation and has issued a challenge to the gift and home furnishings community at large for donations in equal $40,000 increments.  The challenge is effective October 23, 2017 through the 12-week LIFELINE run, which concludes January 12, 2018.

“LIFELINE engages the gift and home furnishings industry in a vital outreach mission unprecedented in scope,” notes George Kacic, Gift For Life board chairman and AmericasMart Atlanta executive vice president.  “LIFELINE allows us to stay true to Gift For Life’s historical mission – HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, education and advocacy – while also focusing the industry’s collective capacity to deliver immediate assistance to those whose lives are affected,” Kacic adds.