Volunteer Q&A: Furniture Sharehouse Floor Manager Abby Watanabe
How one woman turned retirement into an opportunity to help those less fortunate
By Kenny Herzog
Don’t be fooled by Abby Watanabe’s diminutive stature or genteel Tennessee twang. The 5’2” Southern native and longtime former resident of Rye with her husband, Henry (they recently relocated to nearby Greenwich, CT), is a force to be reckoned with. A retail veteran by trade, the 62-year-old Watanabe has translated that background into a post-retirement life dedicated to charitable work. And hard work at that. As the longtime volunteer floor manager of Larchmont-based nonprofit Furniture Sharehouse, one of hundreds of local nonprofits Volunteer New York! partners with, she sweats away several days a week in a non-climate-controlled, bare-bones White Plains warehouse, organizing — and often pitching in to physically schlep around — all the mattress and furniture donations collected by Furniture Sharehouse to provide free of charge to clients dealing with all manner of poverty and displacement. And yes, those clients come from communities throughout Westchester, and they encompass everyone from war veterans and families moving out of shelters to flood victims and young adults aging out of foster care.
On a rare weekday away from her Sharehouse commitments, Watanabe spoke with Volunteer New York! about identifying and addressing community needs, finding the role that suits you and helping as long as you’re physically able.
How did pre-retirement life segue into your work for Furniture Sharehouse?
I’ve always been a hands-on person and physically active. [Sharehouse founder] Kate [Bialo] likes to call me The General. I was in retail, and specifically the last job of 12 years was in interiors and antiques, so there was a lot of lugging around furniture back then. So it was just a natural transition to go from furniture to furniture. [Laughs]
Did you know then that the void Sharehouse fills in Westchester existed?
No. I think you’re so busy living life. And I kind of had to retire early. It was a small, privately owned chain, and they closed down in 2005, so I was in retirement age early on. I didn’t do any volunteer work for a couple of years and happened to stumble upon my local paper and there was a write-up. I called up Kate directly and came in, and have been there ever since. It was just a natural fit for me. I even wrangled my husband. Now we’re referred to as Team Watanabe. [Laughs]
Is your role with Sharehouse testament that there’s a volunteer niche for people of all skillsets?
Yeah. I mean, I’m not the type to want to work in an office or on a computer. I like actually going to the physical warehouse, moving stuff around. That’s just me. The other people in the warehouse are shopping assistants. They’re literally with the clients picking out things. It’s made up mainly of a lot of retired people, and at this point I’m still able to do this more physical work, so I’m just doing it while I can.
With so many younger people working freelance or flexible careers, isn’t this the perfect time for them to come out and volunteer in greater numbers?
During the summer, we do get a lot of teenagers and 20-somethings that need more community hours or something toward their college applications. And we’ve had one gentleman who was in his 50s who lost his job and helped us out until he found something, and we have a young man in his 20s who’s in between jobs who comes in. The majority of us are retired, but there are a fair number of younger folks that come and go as needed.
When you relocated from the South to Westchester, did you notice a different level of awareness that there were communities in need?
Well, for a chunk of time I was in Manhattan, and then when you move out to the suburbs, you become a little more aware of what’s out there. When you’re in your 20s and 30s, sometimes you’re so focused on your career that it’s something you start noticing at a later period. At least that was the case with me. And when I was found with no work, I definitely wanted to do something, and I was just lucky I was able to find Furniture Sharehouse. I think most [suburban] kids now can be more aware. It has a lot to do with your parents and exposure.
Has there been one client connection that’s really resonated with you?
I don’t have the one-on-one connection like our shopping assistants have. I’m on the floor and see everyone that comes in. I find out their mattress needs and help figuring out what would fit into their apartment and delivery issues. But there’s been a couple of instances where a single father came in with his daughter, and children really aren’t supposed to come to the warehouse. But she was delightful, and I happened to interject myself, and we picked her out the most adorable pink lamp and stuff that would make her bedroom a haven for her. We were all falling all over because she was just a sweet child. It’s a mixed bag. Most people come in and are exceedingly grateful.
And for those more timid about face-to-face interactions, I imagine there’s plenty of ways to help behind the scenes.
There’s many different positions available. Kate probably needs more people in the back office, fundraising, getting grants and organizing different galas and stuff like that. That’s not my forte, but there’s definitely those roles available and many different hats that can be worn just in this one facility.
How important is it to make this a dignified experience for clients?
Yeah, we try to make it a positive thing. Most people come in desperate need, so we try to do the best we can.
Why is it that more major furniture retailers don’t contribute new items?
Timing is everything. We did start getting recent donations from Raymour & Flanigan, but that’s not always the case that we have that kind of furniture in there. The majority of them are from a space where homes are being cleared out, so we do get those ‘70s specials in with the wild and crazy prints. [Laughs] We need people like [Sharehouse volunteer] Maureen, who went to Raymour & Flanigan, and we just had our first shipment that came up this week. If that can be kept up, that would be marvelous, because it’s not only nice sofas but mattresses, which we’re desperate for.
So, how long do you think you can keep up this work yourself?
I don’t know. As of right now, I’m physically able to do it. I’ve always got the girls screaming at me not to lift things. [Laughs] So I’ll just do this for as along as I can. We do have a couple of people in their 70s and 80s that are still there, so I’m young compared to them.
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