Central Furniture Rescue Welcomes Kellie Houser-Stessman as First Chief Operating Officer
Central Furniture Rescue (CFR) is excited to announce the addition of Kellie Houser-Stessman as the organization’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Kellie joins CFR with more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in retail operations, bringing a proven track record of building high-performing teams, improving operational efficiency, and leading large-scale organizations through growth and transformation. Her extensive experience will play a critical role as CFR continues expanding its impact throughout Eastern Iowa.
Throughout her career, Kellie has successfully led operations ranging from regional portfolios to national-level responsibilities. Most recently, she served as Region Director for Casey’s General Stores, where she oversaw one of the company’s highest-volume regions, generating more than $900 million in annual revenue. She led multiple acquisitions, store openings, and remodel projects while implementing customer experience improvements and developing future leaders across the organization.
Kellie’s leadership background also includes executive roles with Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Michaels Arts & Crafts. Across these organizations, she managed hundreds of retail locations, delivered exceptional financial results, improved employee retention, and developed leadership teams that continued to drive success long after her direct involvement.
“Kellie brings a wealth of operational knowledge and leadership experience that will help strengthen our organization for years to come,” said Rachel Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of Central Furniture Rescue. “Her ability to build systems, develop people, and lead through growth makes her an incredible addition to our team.”
As CFR’s first COO, Kellie will focus on strengthening organizational operations, enhancing volunteer and warehouse processes, supporting staff development, and helping position the organization for long-term sustainability and growth.
“I have always been passionate about serving others and building organizations that make a difference,” said Houser-Stessman. “Central Furniture Rescue has an incredible mission and a remarkable impact on our community. I am honored to join the team and look forward to helping expand that impact for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness and crisis.”
Founded in 2019, Central Furniture Rescue has helped more than 4,000 households and impacted over 10,000 individuals, nearly half of whom are children. The organization provides furniture and household essentials to individuals and families transitioning from homelessness, domestic violence, foster care, incarceration, refugee resettlement, and other crisis situations. Through its work, CFR has also diverted more than 1,500 tons of reusable items from local landfills.
The addition of both a CEO and COO marks an important milestone in CFR’s growth and succession planning efforts as founder Susan Johnston prepares to transition leadership at the end of 2026. Together, Rachel Cohen and Kellie Houser-Stessman will help guide the organization into its next chapter of service, sustainability, and community impact.
Furniture Pickup Options
We now offer two pickup options to better serve our donors and our community:
KJ Haul Away (Paid Service)
- Full-service furniture removal
- Takes almost all items (no sorting needed)
- Faster scheduling options
- Items suitable for CFR are set aside for our clients
- Non-usable items are recycled or responsibly disposed
- A portion of the fee supports CFR’s mission
- Best option for quick, easy, full-service pickup
CFR Volunteer Pickup (Free Will Donation)
- No set cost (donations appreciated)
- Typically scheduled about 2 weeks out
- Items must:
- Fit our mission and quality standards
- Be safe for volunteers to handle
- Be placed in a garage or on a porch
- Limited availability due to volunteer capacity
Not Sure Which to Choose?
- Need fast, full clean-out? → KJ Haul Away
- Have a few items that meet our guidelines and can wait? → CFR Pickup
Beginning May 1st, 2026
This updated process helps us better serve donors, protect our volunteers, and ensure the right items reach families in need.
Your donations help us turn a place to live into a home.
What we do
We collect basic furniture and household items to provide to those transitioning from homelessness into their own homes.
You can help us accomplish our mission by donating money and volunteering your time and talents.
We receive donations of basic furniture and household items, rescuing them from being sent to the landfill. Then we deliver the beds, dressers, kitchenware, etc. to our clients according to their needs, at no cost, to help turn a house into a home.
We receive client referrals from the area homeless and women’s shelters (See Our Partners page for more infomation). Our clients have worked very hard to overcome homelessness and are moving into their own housing.
Success Stories
We are committed to helping people who need it most. Read about their experiences and successes with Central Furniture Rescue.
Amber: The Comforts of Home
With six kids aged 10 and under, Amber has her hands full. She was working with Helping Hands for [...]
Delah
One day Delah packed up and left Chicago, coming to Cedar Rapids looking for a fresh start. With two [...]
Brittany: Our Own Space
From the derecho to the pandemic, this year has thrown Brittany a lot of curveballs. Homeless with three kids [...]
