For my latest volunteer activity I spent half a day in the Chicago ReStore®, Windy City Habitat for Humanity’s resale outlet that sells reusable and surplus building materials to the public. While every ReStore® outlet is a little different, most focus on home improvement goods like furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances.
ReStore® resale outlets accept donated goods which are sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. The proceeds help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction of Habitat homes within their communities.
When I signed up for this gig a few weeks ago I had never heard of ReStore® and assumed it was a thrift shop where I would be sorting through clothing and housewares. When I got there this morning it was a bit of a surprise to see a warehouse of cabinets, appliances and building materials.
Erica Salinas is the ReStore® Manager and she gave me plenty to do starting with helping a customer move a base cabinet and counter top to the dock. She also gave me a nice Habitat for Humanity tee shirt to wear while I was working. Besides helping customers load their materials I also helped move items to help tidy up the store and open up some aisles.
The time went by quickly and it was interesting to see all the goods they have for sale at reduced prices. I’m thinking about going back to get a ceiling fan for my bedroom.
This was number thirty one, just 19 more to go!