"They can really see it": Home goods nonprofit uses TikTok to show how donations are used

A Massachusetts nonprofit saw a surge in donations after posting simple videos on TikTok — becoming a lifeline for thousands in need.

Nancy Dubow Kanell, of Andover, runs Project Home Again — which turns houses into homes with gently used donations. The nonprofit was slowly growing, she said, until she started posting on social media after the pandemic ended in-person visits.

"Now, we're giving away brand-new bedding to almost every single client and you can't put a value on that," Kanell responded when asked how much posting on TikTok has helped the nonprofit. "And it just gives them so much dignity."

Hundreds of boxes of donations are now arriving each month, with generosity from as far away as Australia.

"I think sometimes when you make a donation, you don't really know what happens to whatever it is you're donating and now it's so concrete, they can really see it," Kanell said.

There is now a warehouse full of essentials like appliances and bedding.

"Oh I love it, I'm so grateful," Franchesca Benitez, who was referred to the nonprofit by a social service agency, told CBS News.

"People are looking for good," Kanell said. "I think it makes people feel good."