A South Bay company that tore down the historic El Rancho Inn in Millbrae gave away hundreds of beds and other furnishings from inside the rooms to those in need.
Buccaneer Demolition in San Jose was hired to tear down the Inn, which was built in 1948 and featured in the movie “The Right Stuff,” to make way for more than 350 new housing units. The company decided not to destroy the furniture inside but instead set it aside to give away.
Buccaneer Demolition Vice President Jose Uribe said they donated roughly 487 items, including mattresses, microwaves, coffeemakers, chairs and more.
“It’s important to us as an organization to do our best to limit the debris in the landfill and try to reuse items that still have life, that serve purpose,” Uribe said. “There’s a lot of value in a lot of the items that we salvage.”
Most of the furnishings were donated to Farmworker Caravan, which supports agriculture workers from Gilroy to Half Moon Bay. Executive Director Darlene Tenes said for some clients the mattresses and bed frames were a game changer.
“Sometimes when they get a bed, it’s the first bed they’ve ever slept in,” Tenes said. “They’ve never had a bed before. It’s such a huge, big gift.”
Furnishings from some of the demolished rooms were also donated to Bay Area Furniture Bank, which supports the unhoused population, domestic violence victims and low-income families.
Buccaneer Demolition also donated a statue from the inn to a Millbrae historical museum.
