An Unexpected Connection Becomes a New Community Partnership Between Create With 614 and Waymakers Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

First donation of new mattresses and bedding marks the beginning of a relationship focused on helping Central Ohio families rebuild and create a sense of home

GAHANNA, Ohio — An unexpected introduction between two Central Ohio business owners is becoming an ongoing community partnership, beginning with a significant donation of new mattresses, foundations and bedding to Waymakers Foundation from Create with 614 and its new home furnishings concept, 614 Collection.

The relationship between Create with 614 owner Michelle Melendez and Waymakers Foundation founder Stephanie Nixon began with a message neither could have anticipated would lead here.

Stephanie reached out to Michelle after someone shared with her a screenshot of something Michelle had posted on social media. She introduced herself, shared some of the work she does through Waymakers Foundation and explained that she also owns a restoration company.

The message happened to arrive on Michelle's late mother’s birthday.

That timing carried particular significance.

The previous year, Michelle’s mother had experienced a devastating house fire and lost virtually everything she owned. Michelle and her family had seen firsthand how suddenly a lifetime of belongings — furniture, clothing, beds and the ordinary things that make a house feel like home — can disappear.

Stephanie had spent years seeing the other side of those same moments.

Before starting her own restoration company six years ago, she worked in the restoration industry and regularly encountered individuals and families facing the aftermath of fires and other disasters. Seeing what people needed beyond repairing the physical structure compelled her to find another way to help.

She created Waymakers Foundation to do exactly that.

Today, Stephanie brings the same philosophy to her restoration company, emphasizing a people-first approach and caring for families as they navigate what can be one of the most difficult periods of their lives.

For Michelle, learning that story on her mother’s birthday created an immediate connection.

“Stephanie had no idea what that particular day meant to me when she reached out,” Michelle  said. “She didn’t know what my mom had been through or how much the fire had affected our family. Then she started telling me about the people she works with after fires and why she created Waymakers. Given everything we had experienced with my mom, I felt compelled to get to know her and understand more about what she was doing.”

The two women stayed connected.

Now that relationship is taking its first tangible step.

Create with 614 and 614 Collection have donated over a dozen new Sealy and Beautyrest mattresses, and more than 90 pieces of new bedding, including sheets, pillowcases and pillow inserts from brands including Pottery Barn and Target, to Waymakers Foundation.

The merchandise has an estimated retail value of more than $20,000 and will be used by Waymakers Foundation to be distributed to individuals and families rebuilding their lives after experiencing life-altering circumstances. This includes individuals graduating from sober-living programs who are moving into a free apartment with little or nothing to start their new life, as well as single parents, survivors of domestic violence, families who have lost everything in a fire, and others facing difficult transitions. These new mattresses and bedding will provide more than basic necessities - they will help create a safe, comfortable place to call home and give people a sense of dignity and a fresh start when they need it most.

For Michelle, the nature of the donation makes the connection especially fitting.

“A mattress sitting in our warehouse is inventory,” Michelle said. “But to someone who has lost everything or is trying to put a home back together, having a new bed to sleep in means something entirely different. Once I realized Waymakers could put these items directly into the hands of people who need them, the decision became very easy.”

And neither Michelle nor Stephanie sees this first donation as the end of the relationship.

As Create with 614 expands into furniture, home furnishings and décor through 614 Collection, Michelle expects there will periodically be merchandise that can have a greater impact in someone’s home than it can sitting in inventory.

Rather than establishing a specific donation schedule or commitment, Create with 614 and Waymakers Foundation plan to stay connected so that when appropriate inventory becomes available and aligns with a need Waymakers is seeing in the community, the organizations can work together to put it to use.

“I’m building a business around the things people use to create a home,” Michelle said. “My family’s experience taught me just how quickly all of those things can be gone. I can’t solve that for everyone, but when we’re fortunate enough to have something that can help someone else begin putting a home back together, I want that to be part of how we choose to operate.”

For Stephanie, the relationship reflects the reason Waymakers Foundation was created in the first place.

"Marty and I founded the Waymakers Foundation because we believe that when people are going through hard times, they shouldn’t have to feel less than simply because they need help. We wanted to be for others what we wished we would have had during some of our own difficult seasons someone willing to step in, provide support, and remind them that they matter. Every donation and every partnership helps us give families not just the things they need, but dignity, hope, and the knowledge that they are not alone."

The organizations expect the first delivery of mattresses and bedding to be just that — a first.

“This isn’t about making one donation and checking a box,” Michelle said. “There was something incredibly meaningful to me about the way Stephanie and I connected, and now we’re in a position to turn that connection into something useful for other people. I hope that a year from now, we look back and realize these mattresses were simply where the relationship started.”

Learn more at www.waymakersfoundation.org

About Create with 614 and 614 Collection

Create with 614 is a veteran-owned, family-operated Central Ohio business based in Gahanna, Ohio. The company was established in 2019 and has grown from serving makers and small businesses into a broader collection of custom products, finished goods and locally focused retail concepts.

Its newest concept, 614 Collection by Create with 614, expands the company into furniture, home furnishings and décor, offering an evolving collection of furniture, lighting, art, textiles and home accessories and expected to open in October 2026.

Create with 614 believes that building a successful local business and being a meaningful part of the community can go hand in hand. Its developing relationship with Waymakers Foundation is intended to create an ongoing path for appropriate merchandise to reach individuals and families who can put it to immediate use.

Media Contact

Michelle Melendez
Create with 614 / 614 Collection
Michelle@createwith614.com
937-344-3243

About Waymakers Foundation

Waymakers Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families rebuild their lives after experiencing difficult or life-altering circumstances. Through donated household goods, clothing, furniture, and essential items, Waymakers provides people with the basic necessities they need to create a safe and stable home without judgment and without making anyone feel less than for asking for help. Founded on the belief that we should be for others what we wish we would have had during our own difficult seasons, Waymakers brings together donors, community partners, and volunteers to help people move forward with dignity, hope, and a fresh start.

In 2026 we are working vigorously for financial donations to support the growing impact of the community throughout central Ohio and surrounding cities. We helped more than 150 families this year through the Waymakers foundation

Media Contact