The Essentials Furniture and Household Goods From Rudden Family Services
Rudden Family Services, a program of The Rudden Family Foundation, Inc., runs The Essentials, which takes in donated clothing, furniture, appliances and other household items and gives them to individuals and families who need them.
You cannot sign yourself up. Items go to individuals and families identified by one of the Foundation's 20 community partners in Berks County, so you would need to be working with one of those partner agencies. The page does not name the partner agencies, so ask the caseworker or agency helping you whether they refer households to Rudden Family Services.
Donated items are picked up, sorted and then given out. The page does not say how many items a household can receive, how often, or how long it takes after a partner agency puts your name forward.
The only costs the program describes are logistical: labor, transportation and storage. The page does not say whether a household receiving items pays anything toward delivery, so ask the agency referring you before you count on it.
People who receive goods send a handwritten letter to thank the donor or sponsor.
For general questions about the Foundation and its programs, the contact listed is (610) 207-9257, with email at joe.rudden@trffoundation.org or kevin.rudden@trffoundation.org. The mailing and contact address is 16 Pacific Avenue, Reading, PA 19608-9788. This is a general contact rather than an intake line, and the page does not describe a pickup location, office hours or days when items are handed out.
Source: theruddenfamilyfoundation.org/programs, read September 18, 2026.
The details
In The Rudden Family Foundation’s words
RFS receives donations of clothing, furniture, appliances, and other household items. Donors receive a tax deductible receipt after pickup, then we sort and give these items to individuals and families identified by one of our 20 community partners.
Organization
The Rudden Family Foundation
About this listing
This listing summarizes publicly available information from theruddenfamilyfoundation.org/programs. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.