At Wayfair we believe everyone has a right to feel at home, including those experiencing homelessness. With the opening of our first-ever Wayfair store in Wilmette, Illinois, Wayfair is proud to partner with Connections for the Homeless (Connections), a local Chicago area nonprofit aimed at ending homelessness.

For Marine Lance Corporal Alberto Flores Jr., a comfortable, accessible home is essential for regaining his freedom and independence. In 2005, while on his second combat deployment in Ramadi, Iraq, LCPL Flores sustained severe injuries to his right leg, ultimately requiring an amputation below the knee. This life-changing injury not only affected his physical abilities but also transformed his family’s daily life and routines, creating a need for a home that fosters both comfort and independence.

Wayfair values creating a sense of home for all, even for those who are experiencing homelessness. Since 2021, Wayfair has partnered with Community Solutions to support the Built for Zero movement, a national effort to measurably reduce and end homelessness. Community Solutions was one of the first recipients of Wayfair’s Neighborhood Fund, which launched in 2023.

In 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rebecca Mann joined the military and began her first tour of Afghanistan. Then, during her second deployment in March 2014, she sustained an injury to her right foot – an incident which led to multiple surgeries and, ultimately, the double amputation of both her legs.

Army Specialist Michael Monthervil always dreamed of joining the Army and enlisted when he was a sophomore in college. He quickly became attached to the 10th Mountain Division and joined the Special Forces. In 2014, while Michael was stationed in Afghanistan, he sustained a neck and spinal cord injury while completing a training exercise, and no longer has use of his legs.

On September 21, Wayfair held its first-ever skills-based volunteering event at the Copley Headquarters called Building a Bridge, where seven teams of Wayfair employee volunteers came together and leveraged their skills and experience towards a shared purpose: finding a solution to a problem being faced by a local non-profit organization.

With the opening of our first Wayfair store in Wilmette, Ill. in 2024, we are excited to give back and get involved in our new community. Together, members from both Habitat for Humanity’s local Chicago chapter and Wayfair’s Physical Retail team came together to take part in a volunteer day to work on the construction of a two-home project in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood in South Side Chicago. Throughout the day, Wayfair employees teamed up with Habitat for Humanity community members to cut and install sheathing, and also put up drywall for the two homes.

As we shared our latest Corporate Responsibility report with the world, which offers a transparent look at our progress against our key commitments, we also saw an opportunity to have those who are most deeply involved in our core pillars – Our Communities, Our Workplace, and Our Planet – speak to them directly and offer their perspectives on our progress and achievements.

At Wayfair, we are committed to empowering our employees to give back to their communities through volunteering. We believe in harnessing their passions by encouraging employees to take volunteer time off as well as providing opportunities to support Wayfair’s nonprofit partners who are doing work around the world to provide housing and a sense of home for all.