When a neck injury restricted the work she had been doing in her home repair and remodeling business, My Handy Ma’am, Teresa Rene Wood found herself with time on her hands. "Because of my neck, I was feeling very depressed and down. If I couldn’t work and had to take time off to mend, I wanted to volunteer."
In April of 2008, Wood attended a volunteer information session at Doorways for Women and Families, a nonprofit in Arlington that provides shelter and a host of services to victims of domestic violence and/or homelessness and their families. Wood had witnessed the abusive behavior when she was growing up and says she felt a personal connection with the mission of the organization.
Kristen Barnes, M.S.W., who works as a client services coordinator at Doorways, said, "Teresa came to us at a very critical time as the Furniture Bank of Arlington had just shut down and we were left without resources to secure furniture for our families as they transitioned to independent living."
Wood and her partner in life, Betsy Kramer, decided to focus their charitable giving on the Doorways Home Start program, working specifically with the families transitioning to independent living.
"Teresa stepped in with her boundless energy and found furniture and household items for our families," said Barnes. "Not only did she secure donations, she provided moving trucks to pick up the furniture and deliver it to our clients’ new homes."

IN THE FIRST six months with the program, Wood moved 13 families. She is quick to express her gratitude to others: Leo, the owner of Budget Truck Rental in Gaithersburg who gives her special pricing on the trucks, Mark Mainardi and his sons, Petey and Alex, who help on moving day. Wood also acknowledges Kramer who has given her full support: "If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing."
When asked what has been the most gratifying aspect of the work, Wood said, "The humble realization that a child could be so happy to see that he now has his own bed to sleep in."
Barnes says that in addition to the furniture and moving assistance, Wood will often provide bottled water in the fridge or decorative touches to welcome the families to their new home. "Recently Teresa made a delivery to a woman who does not speak English. The woman was so grateful for the assistance that she tried to express her feelings by placing her hand over her heart while smiling and then touching Teresa’s shoulder."
Wood suggests doing a semiannual assessment of the things people have in their homes. "If you’re not using it and it’s just taking up space, there’s somebody in the Doorways Home Start program that could use that every day and truly appreciate it," she smiled as she added, "I can take it, I can move it, I can store it."