Matter
Brothers Furniture has provided furnishings and design services for the six foster homes that will
become the foundation of a new start for foster children. The Matter Brothers
Furniture showroom in Sarasota is currently offering opportunities for the
public to participate and sponsor additional furnishings for the campus.

(SARASOTA, FL) Matter Brothers
Furniture recently donated over $25,000 worth of furnishings and design
services to All Star Children’s Foundation for its Campus of Hope and Healing
in Sarasota. Matter Brothers Furniture also worked with Sealy Mattress Company who
also donated 36 mattresses for All Star’s six foster family homes. Matter
Brothers, based on the west coast of Florida, is the 85th largest furniture
retailer in America, and is family-owned and operated.

What sparked this generosity?

According to John Matter, the president of Matter
Brothers, his commitment began on the day the company’s design team first
introduced him to All-Star Children’s Foundation. 

In November, Matter and the members of his team
visited the All Star campus and met with Graci McGillicuddy, the organization’s
board chair and co-founder. As they toured the campus, McGillicuddy passionately
shared the vision behind All Star. Matter and his team were all deeply touched.

 “Graci
passionately sketched the future plans for All Star,” Matter recalls. “That vision
includes six beautiful foster homes, tree-lined playgrounds and gardens, picnic
areas and the All Star Children’s Center, a state-of-the-art clinical treatment
center. Her optimism and excitement for creating a haven for children to heal
was infectious.”

Matter and his team were intrigued by All Star’s
mission to create stable, safe and nurturing home environments for foster
children within our community.

“We wanted to learn more,” says Matter. “Right then
and there, we knew we wanted to help.”

He adds that Matter Brother’s most valuable
contribution was obvious—designing and furnishing the interiors of All Star’s six
foster family homes. “Our expertise would make those nurturing spaces as
welcoming as they could be,” he says. “They’d be the foundation of a new start,
a renewed spirit and a place for each child to feel loved and nurtured.”

Since that initial visit, Matter Brothers Furniture
has designed the interiors of all six homes, donated an entire home of
furnishings valued at over $25,000, and provided 36 mattresses for all six
foster homes. Matter Brothers continues to support the
foundation at its local Sarasota showroom by encouraging customers to sponsor a
piece of furniture or make a monetary contribution directly to All Star. The
Sarasota showroom, located at 4675 Clark Road, offers areas in the store with
the specific rooms featuring the exact furnishings needed.

 “We feel
profoundly honored to help Graci and the All Star team bring this vision to
life,” says Matter. “We look forward to helping create a brighter future for
the foster children of All-Star.”

“Matter Brothers Furniture are experts in the art of
creating spaces,” says McGillicuddy. “Over the years, they’ve helped countless
families throughout southwest Florida bring their dream homes to life. Thanks
to their generosity, All Star’s children and foster parents can find their own
dream homes. Our gratitude is beyond words.”

Caption: (left to right): Andrea
Matter; Graci McGillicuddy, co-founder and board chair of All Star Children’s
Foundation; and John Matter, president of Matter Brothers.

About Matter Brothers

Family-owned and
operated since 1976 with five locations throughout southwest Florida, including
Ft. Myers, Naples, Sarasota, Pinellas Park, and Tarpon Springs, Matter Brothers
Furniture specializes in bringing the Florida lifestyle to your home from the
world’s finest furniture and accessory manufacturers. We are passionate about
providing our customers with a personalized experience to create their distinct
Florida lifestyle, all within reach. We believe that furniture should be built
to last and provide timeless appeal. We pride ourselves on being good stewards
to the communities we serve and take part in supporting local businesses. Visit
www.matterbrothersfurniture.com.

About All Star Children’s Foundation

All Star Children’s
Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to healing the effects of
trauma suffered by children who have been abused and transforming foster care
through innovation, science, and compassion. All Star’s campus, located at 3300
17th St, in Sarasota, is a nurturing community consisting of a clinical
treatment center; six family foster homes and inspirational green space
featuring a playground, gardens and a clubhouse. Working with research experts
from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, this innovative approach will be
researched and evaluated in order to develop models that can be adopted by
foster care systems around the state and country. This project has been
partially funded under an agreement with the State of Florida, Department of
Children and Families. Visit www.allstarchildrensfoundation.org.

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