Art Van Furniture To Donate Houseful Of Furniture To Michigan Couple Receiving Home From Compuware

WARREN, Mich., Dec. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of a joint initiative, Art Van Furniture is donating $10,000 in furniture to a young Detroit couple whose wish was to have a home for their family in time for the holidays. The McQueen family of Detroit will receive a fully furnished new home as part of Project: Welcome Home. The project began as an initiative from Compuware to put a deserving family into a new house in time for the holidays along with Habitat for Humanity Detroit, Art Van Furniture and The Parade Company.

"Our mission, with Compuware, Habitat for Humanity and The Parade Company, was to ensure that the McQueen family had not just a house, but a place to call home in time for the holidays," said Art Van Elslander, founder and chairman of Art Van Furniture. "We wish them a holiday and a home filled with joy, love and beautiful family memories for many years to come."

The McQueen's, who have 2 young boys, were chosen from a number of families who applied through Project: Welcome Home for Habitat Detroit's homeownership program. The idea for Project: Welcome Home began after Detroit's celebrated 2011 America's Thanksgiving Parade.

As part of America's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Compuware's Dream Factory float, displayed wishes for the city of Detroit submitted through the iWish4Detroit.com website. The theme that most prominently rang out was: the wish for a place to call home. By working an $8 an hour job, the husband put the couple through Certified Nursing Assistant school. They both now work fulltime in the healthcare industry. Before receiving their new home, the couple lived with their grandmother. The young couple and two sons shared one bedroom.