From Shabby to Chic: EcoWork Helps a Philadelphia Nonprofit Put their Best Foot Forward

Before InterWork, Erica Spizzirri was flustered. As Development Coordinator for The Wardrobe, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit with a mission to eradicate clothing insecurity, she wanted her office to impress corporate donors — but all she could do is sigh at the look of the shabby furniture. What’s more, The Wardrobe’s Executive Director, Sheri Cole, was in the process of re-opening the organization’s fashion boutiques amid the lifting of COVID lockdowns. How could they deliver inviting, inspiring spaces for their clients, employees, and other stakeholders after weathering a budget-busting pandemic?

 

Just 20 miles away, we were faced with the opposite dilemma. Here at InterWork, we decommission hundreds of offices per year, cleaning out and carting away thousands of desks, chairs, and other office assets no longer needed by our clients, but with plenty of life left to give. For decades, the industry relegated these assets to the landfill — but we wanted to do better.

Firing up an internet search last summer, our Head of Marketing, Patrick Diogenia, stumbled upon The Wardrobe’s website and picked up the phone. After talking through The Wardrobe’s mission and vision with Spizzirri, he knew an upcoming InterWork decommission project had the assets they needed to transform their space.

Projects like this are part of EcoWork, our industry-leading sustainability program whose centerpiece is nonprofit partnerships. Our program goes well beyond industry standard: from help selecting furniture to white-glove delivery, EcoWork provides a complete suite of products and services to nonprofits, all at no cost.

With the decommission of a branch office of longtime client Guardian Insurance already underway, we acted fast to assist Spizzirri and Cole in reimagining their space, made possible with pieces including: