Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington is most well known for the incredible work the organization has done to build homes for many local families. Habitat GW partners with families through affordable housing, allowing them to build the financial stability they need to transform their futures.
What some may not know is that Habitat for Humanity also runs a non-profit called the ReStore. It’s an initiative in support of raising funds so the organization can continue to work on affordable housing initiatives, but it’s more than just running a storefront.
“The ReStore is a retail social enterprise that receives and resells new and gently used furniture, appliances, home decor, building materials, tools, and the list goes on,” says Deb Stanson, ReStore Manager for Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington. “We rely a lot on our communities to donate these items and we resell them for a modest amount.”
Donation Stations: Habitat for Humanity’s Newest Initiative
Donations are accepted both on location as well as at multiple donation stations, a newer initiative to Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington. “We started a soft launch last year at a few different businesses throughout the county and Guelph and we’ve already started booking donations stations for this year.”
Donation stations will run on most Saturdays from April to November. Dates will be posted on the Habitat GW website as soon as they are booked, with the first one happening on April 2 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Headwaters Home Improvement Centre in Erin.
“We bring our ReStore truck to the location, and staff and volunteers facilitate the day. We promote it in advance to the surrounding neighbourhood, letting local individuals know they can bring items to donate. There's also an opportunity to speak with donors about how we are carrying out our mission in the community. ”
Donors can get a tax receipt for their eligible donations, often on the spot. Tax receipts are for the reasonable value of a gift in kind for the amount in which volunteers believe they could sell an item at ReStore.
ReStore will also schedule pickups of donations of small or larger items from a business or home, which is convenient for those who are downsizing, moving, or handling a loved one’s estate.
Habitat for Humanity has also been actively seeking land donations and fair sale offers in order to develop more homes for local families.
Steve Howard, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington, explains, “Acquiring land is one of our greatest challenges. Land gives us the opportunity to serve more families, meeting the need of our community for affordable housing.”
Environmentally Friendly Meets Community Action
The ReStore strives to contribute to as much sustainable action in the community as possible. In addition to accepting used batteries, electronic waste and scrap metal, the ReStore continues to recycle through collaborative partnerships with other businesses in the area.
The Kitchen Salvage program is also available where volunteers will come to an individual’s home or business and take down their unwanted kitchen prior to a move, renovation, etc. These items, such as cabinets, sinks, and appliances can be recycled or reused instead of ending up in a landfill. Some contractors and kitchen builders will charge money to remove an old kitchen while the ReStore will do it for free.
Volunteers will then set up and display the donations in the ReStore for shoppers to purchase.
“The win-win-win, as we call it, is that if you're donating or looking for a deal, it’s a win for you at the ReStore, and our community wins because we are supporting Habitat for Humanity’s building projects. The environment also wins because by doing all of these things we are keeping things out of the landfill,” says Stanson.
What Can Housing Do For Someone?
“Habitat for Humanity’s goal in the short term is to build affordable housing. In the long term, we are helping local families become more financially stable which allows for them to have better outcomes for themselves and their children,” says Rachel Hopf, Marketing, Communications and Community Engagement Lead.
“What can housing do for someone? Safe and decent housing has the power to change individual lives and transform communities by supporting stable employment, better health outcomes, and increased access to educational opportunities. In particular, when children receive the benefit of a Habitat home, we can see their entire life trajectory change because of this one thing we were able to do.”
Stay tuned as Habitat GW has some big projects on the horizon which are expected to make a big impact on affordable housing for the future of families living in our community.
Learn more about Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington and the ReStore, and find out how you can support local affordable housing, at www.habitatgw.ca.