What we do:
Next Chapter: Home provides quality home goods and furnishings free of charge to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness. Participants who have secured housing through a local nonprofit can shop in our showroom for the items they need to begin their next chapter with stability and dignity.
Our showroom offers a wide selection of furniture, kitchenware, linens, décor, plants, bathroom essentials, pet supplies, sporting equipment, and more. Every item is clean, well‑maintained, and thoughtfully displayed to create a welcoming, dignified shopping experience.
We believe that a new home should feel both functional and joyful. By empowering people to choose items that reflect their style and needs, we help restore a sense of pride, comfort, and hope.
Next Chapter: Home — restoring hope and dignity one home at a time.
Who we are:
Julie Silbar and Lerria Schuh met as colleagues more than 25 years ago and quickly became close friends. In 2024, after many conversations about the limited access to home goods for people transitioning out of homelessness, they decided to take action. Their shared vision focused on two commitments: Provide essential home goods to individuals and families beginning a new chapter, and create a dignified shopping experience with a welcoming showroom of quality, clean, and well‑maintained items.
Next Chapter Home opened its showroom in April 2025. Shortly afterward, Julie was diagnosed with MDS, a rare blood cancer, and pursued treatment in Seattle and Houston. She passed away in May 2026. Julie’s compassion, leadership, and belief in this mission continue to guide the organization, and Next Chapter remains dedicated to carrying forward the dream she and Lerria built together.
Dr. Julie Silbar (1972–2026), Co‑Founder
Julie spent most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and was a proud graduate of EWU and Gonzaga University, earning her PhD in Leadership Studies in 2021. Her career included leadership roles with Cavanaughs/WestCoast Hotels, American Express, and Expedia Group, where she specialized in inclusion, diversity, cultural communication, and organizational effectiveness. Julie also served as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University, teaching in the School of Leadership Studies, the School of
Business, and the Center for Lifelong Learning. Her commitment to dignity, equity, and community continues to shape Next Chapter’s work.
Lerria Schuh, Co-Founder
Lerria has called the Inland Northwest home for more than 30 years. A Gonzaga University graduate, she spent over two decades with WestCoast Entertainment presenting the Best of Broadway series before launching her own marketing and public relations firm. In 2019, she transitioned into the nonprofit sector to make a deeper impact in her community.
She currently serves as Executive Director of the Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, which supports vulnerable residents across the Inland Northwest and North Idaho through grants and advocacy.
“Next Chapter: Home provides home goods and furnishings to lighten the overwhelming obstacles of making a house a home for someone starting a new chapter in their life.”