Every day, thousands of pieces of usable furniture get tossed to New York City curbs. Many of them aren’t “stooped” in time and are left to end up in the city’s incinerators, even as many New York families go without furniture of their own. A family might finally secure an affordable apartment, only to find they don’t have the bed, mattress, couch, or nightstands that make their house a home. That’s why Regina Carter started Repurposed Life, a last-mile distribution organization that intercepts surplus furniture before it reaches the landfill and redistributes it in the homes of the NYC families that need it most. 

Since 2024, Regina has distributed over half a million pounds of items to over 5,000 New York families. Furniture often comes from commercial spaces like hotels, college dorms, and corporate move-outs with property managers who need to clear out a space quickly. The rest comes from community members and partners like Remix Market NYC and the Public Housing Community Fund. A network of volunteers helps Regina pick up, sort, and drop off donations curbside. New Yorkers get in touch through word of mouth, Facebook, and email — no referral required. Each month, she also hosts furniture pop-ups in NYCHA open spaces like parking lots and basketball courts, where New Yorkers in need can shop for hundreds of items — wardrobes, dressers, sofas, beds, desks — all for free. 

The idea was sparked by Regina’s experience of helping an older tenant in her building who couldn’t afford to replace a sofa ruined by a leak. Regina was able to secure him a sofa. What began as helping one person became two, then a network of people across the boroughs, largely through word of mouth.

Regina believes the condition of a person’s home is a reflection of their mental health, so providing access to this furniture can visibly change the conditions of someone’s life. She knows the absence of this first hand. At 10 years old, Regina entered the New York City foster care system. By the time she aged out at 21, she was a mother of two, newly moved into Morris Houses in the Bronx — facing the reality of a new apartment that sat empty because furniture was so hard to afford.

Regina’s career has been dedicated to getting New Yorkers the help they need. She does all of this while managing a full-time job at New York City’s Human Resources Administration, helping New Yorkers fighting poverty and income inequality with essential benefits. Before that, she worked at NYCHA’s social services department supporting families. She’s now the Tenant Association President of her own NYCHA building.