SAGE Furniture Repair Business to Aid Seniors

From July 16 to 20 from, 9 am to noon each day, ’s Furniture Restoration Workshop, located on the lower level of 290 Broad Street in Summit, will be holding an Open House. 

There will be workers available to give tours of the facilities, items for sale, including some restored chairs and tables, and you can learn about volunteer opportunities or bring in your items for a repair estimate.

“We have a great group of volunteers who work here on a regular basis – most of them have learned how to cane chairs and rush on-site and they come from all walks of life.   For example, we have workers who were previously a dentist, surgeon, watch maker and engineer.  Another worker is currently an ESL professor and he has recruited two of his students to learn some of the trades,” stated Al Kessler, Manager of SAGE’s workshop. 

SAGE Eldercare’s Furniture Restoration Workshop is one of the few places in the state that you can take your chair in to have it recaned.  They also handle rushing and seat cover replacements, as well as basic sanding, staining and repairs. 

Chair caning and rush seat weaving are all terms for different designs and techniques used in the process of weaving the seat of a chair.  The 7-step method of hand chair caning is often tedious and time-consuming, but when completed, the seat is strong and durable.  It can take 40-50 hours to complete the weaving process for one chair.

“Many people are thrilled to find out that we can fix their chairs.  Not that many shops have the knowledge of these trades anymore and we can help bring new life to chairs that are often passed down from one generation to the next,” said Peter Daley, a former banker and volunteer at the workshop. 

“What also makes our workshop truly unique is that we will teach volunteers and they can come in as often as their schedules allow,” added Marsha Foregger, a volunteer who has trained several other volunteers, including another female who is legally blind and works in the shop one to two days each week.

When customers come to the workshop with their items for repair, SAGE will provide an estimate and completion date for the furniture.  The benefit to bringing the items to SAGE is that the pricing is competitive and 100% of the proceeds benefit SAGE’s programs and services for local seniors and their caregivers. 

For more information on the open house or to inquire about your furniture repair needs, call 908.598.5531 between the hours of 9 am to noon, Monday through Friday or visit www.sageeldercare.org.

SAGE Eldercare supports the independence, well-being and quality of life of older adults, their families and caregivers, through the provision of client-centered health, social and support services.  Founded in 1954, SAGE is both the oldest and one of the few non-profit eldercare agencies in the United States that offers a broad and comprehensive array of services under one roof that assist elderly, often frail, adults to remain independent in their own homes. 

Programs at SAGE Eldercare include: HomeCare; Meals On Wheels; Spend-A-Day Adult Day Health Center; GPS (Guidance Planning Support) Services; InfoCare free information and referral service; Fall Prevention Initiative; Home Repair Service; Grocery Shopping and Errand Service; Bill Paying Service; Holistic Living Services; Alzheimer’s and PREP caregiver support groups; Community Education; and Union County Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program).  In addition, SAGE has operated a Furniture Restoration Workshop, run by volunteers who specialize in caning and rushing chairs and refinishing furniture, and a Resale Shop for more than 50 years.  Both provide essential funding that supports the organization’s programs and services for seniors in the community. 

SAGE Eldercare serves over 6,000 people throughout Union, Essex, Morris and

Somerset Counties, as well as across the United States.  For more information, call 908.273.5550 or visit www.sageeldercare.org.

This was a SAGE Eldercare press release.