About Pass It Home Initiative
A student-run community program built on a simple belief: useful things deserve another chapter.
From one home to another.
Pass It Home Initiative began with a simple observation: usable household goods were being discarded every day, while nearby households lacked the basic furnishings and items that make a home feel like home.
Three students decided to do something about it. What started as a small effort to connect neighbors with usable furniture has grown into a more organized community program — one driven by the belief that practical, dignified support can come from the community itself.
We are not a resale shop, a hauling service, or a charitable organization in the traditional sense. We are students helping to move useful things from homes that no longer need them to households that do.
Why we exist.
Pass It Home Initiative helps usable household goods move from people who no longer need them to people who do — reducing waste while supporting local households with practical, dignity-centered assistance.
What we're working toward.
A community where no usable household item is thrown away simply because its owner no longer has a use for it — and where every household has access to the basic furnishings and goods that make a home feel like one.
Our Values
These principles shape how we operate and how we treat everyone we work with.
Dignity
Every person who requests an item deserves to be treated with respect. We aim to make the process feel simple and normal — not like charity.
Sustainability
Giving items a second life reduces waste and benefits the environment. Every rehomed item is one fewer item in a landfill.
Community
We believe neighbors helping neighbors is one of the most direct and meaningful forms of community support.
Reliability
We follow through on our commitments to donors and recipients. If we can't do something, we say so clearly.
Safety
We review items carefully and do not accept goods that could pose safety or health risks.
Respect
We respect the privacy of everyone involved and handle all personal information with care.
Practical Service
We focus on what's actually useful: getting functional items to people who need them, with as little friction as possible.
Meet the Founders
Pass It Home Initiative is run by three students committed to making a practical difference in their community.
Jonathan Chen
Co-Founder
University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine · Medical Student
Jonathan finds genuine fulfillment in the small moments — a family setting up their first real dining table, or a student finally having a proper desk to study at. For him, community support isn't abstract; it's about showing up with something tangible and useful for the people right around you. He is pursuing a career in ophthalmology.
Michael Hermanto
Co-Founder
University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine · Medical Student
Michael is driven by the idea that communities thrive when people look out for one another. He believes that redistributing everyday household goods — things most of us take for granted — is one of the most direct ways students can make a real, immediate impact on the lives of their neighbors. He is pursuing a career in psychiatry.
Garrett Wu
Co-Founder
University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine · Medical Student
Garrett is passionate about reducing waste and strengthening local ties at the same time. Knowing that perfectly good furniture and household items often end up discarded while others go without motivates him to keep building something practical — a simple bridge between people who have and people who need. He is pursuing a career in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Help useful items find their next home.
Whether you have something to give or something you need, we're here to help make the connection.