Art Van Furniture Joins with 'Days of our Lives' Cast Members to Aid Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries-Genesis House III

WARREN, Mich., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Art Van Furniture is teaming up with cast members from the long running daytime drama "Days of our Lives" and local NBC affiliate WDIV Channel 4 to help Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries- Genesis House III. Truckloads of furniture including 50 mattress sets, bed frames, night stands and dressers will arrive next week at the Genesis House III compliments of Art Van Furniture.

To celebrate this campaign and draw attention to the cause, "Days of our Lives" cast members Shawn Christian ("Dr. Daniel Jonas") and Nadia Bjorlin ("Chloe Lane") will make personal appearances at four Art Van Furniture stores for autographs and photos on January 16 (12 noon to 1pm at the Warren store and 3pm to 4pm at the Taylor store) and January 17 (12 noon to 1pm at the Lakeside store and 3pm to 4pm at the Novi store). Directions and details can be found at www.artvan.com.

Guests can also enter to win a trip for two to Los Angeles for a special tour of the set of the popular daytime drama, thanks to WDIV and the Producers of "Days of our Lives." The trip will be awarded to one lucky winner who enters now through January 18th, either in store at any Art Van location, or on the website at www.artvan.com.

Everyone is invited to help make a difference, through donations of toiletries and cleaning supplies at all Metro Detroit area Art Van Furniture stores from January 8th through January 18th. Donation items needed include travel sized shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, soap and washcloths, as well as laundry and dish soap.

"These donations will benefit the lives of hundreds of homeless women and children," said Art Van Elslander, Chairman and Founder of Art Van Furniture. "Providing a few of the comforts of home - even just the little things- can make a big difference."

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries' Genesis House III provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, treatment and case management services to women and children in need. The actors became involved in the cause during an earlier visit to Detroit, when they toured the facility and participated in a food donation drive for DRMM. Shawn Christian, a Michigan native, commented "It was an amazing experience travelling to Detroit this past November. I felt like we did a lot for the community but realized that there was much more that could be done." Fellow cast member Nadia Bjorlin added "In Detroit, I met many truly inspirational people who were struggling to put their lives back together. I choose to put my focus here in an effort to help them where I can. The important thing, though, is to be cognizant of the need for community service in Detroit and around our entire nation."

Photos are available upon request.

About Art Van Furniture

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Art Van Furniture is Michigan's largest furniture retailer and America's largest independent furniture retailer, operating 31 stores in 29 communities throughout Michigan, a full service e-commerce website plus a new freestanding bedding store in Canton Michigan, 'Art Van Pure Sleep.' The company is family-owned and headquartered in Warren, Michigan. For more information, visit artvan.com.

About Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries has been providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, meals, crisis counseling, clothing, and treatment services to men, women and children for over 100 years, serving over 1,000,000 meals a year and housing 1200 clients per day. For more information, visit www.drmm.org

About "Days of our Lives"

NBC's "Days of our Lives" will celebrate its 45th year on the air in November 2010 and has already garnered numerous Emmy Awards and nominations, as well as multiple "Soap Opera Digest" and "People's Choice" Awards. The show's success derives from its consistent commitment to excellence in writing and storytelling -- supported by a diverse ensemble of performers -- and an uncanny knack for anticipating viewer interests. "Days of our Lives" is produced by Corday Productions, Inc., in association with Sony Pictures Television.

    CONTACT:
    Diane Charles, Director of Corporate Communications
    Art Van Furniture
    [email protected]
    586-983-3022

    Kyley Jolna, Publicist
    Days of our Lives / Klear PR
    [email protected]
    818-840-2810

SOURCE Art Van Furniture