It was a fortunate chain of events that brought La Tonya Watson-Woodruff to CORT Furniture in Orlando. La Tonya is the founder of Estah Outreach Ministries, a nonprofit that works to support the community with acts of kindness large and small, and she came to CORT looking for a mattress to donate to a local veteran who had reached out to her.
CORT District General Manager, Sabrina Mendoza, worked with La Tonya to select and deliver a new mattress for the veteran, but this encounter led to much more.
“We at CORT are always looking for ways to help the community, especially military veterans or people down on their luck,” said Mendoza. “Estah Outreach is a wonderful organization that is truly driven by a passion to serve the community and make a difference in the lives of people who need it most. We’re excited to continue working with La Tonya and Estah Outreach more frequently.”
A licensed cosmetologist by trade, La Tonya Watson-Woodruff started Estah Outreach with the simple goal of bringing a smile to people’s faces. Beyond working with the homeless and veteran populations in Orlando, she has also volunteered with young girls to help build their confidence and teach them important lessons about hygiene and self-care.
“We don’t expect those in need to come to us – it’s our job to go out in the community and find them,” said Watson-Woodruff. “We just want people to know that somebody out there cares. Working with CORT will offer even more opportunities to further support our fellow community members.”
CORT has since donated six twin beds and other household items to Estah Outreach. Two of those beds were donated to a single mother who had recently moved and couldn’t afford new beds for her kids.
CORT’s Orlando team also partners with The Transition House, Second Harvest Food Bank and Catholic Charities of Central Florida.
