ReStore And Recycle With Habitat For Humanity

By Rochelle Karina

Most people have heard of Habitat for Humanity, the non-profit was founded in 1976 and has been serving Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties since 1982. People are less familiar with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake’s discount home improvement center, ReStore. There are currently two ReStore locations in the area, one on Fort Smallwood Road in Pasadena and another on Kane Street in Baltimore. The big news is the upcoming opening of a third location on Commerce Drive in Halethorpe.

But what exactly is ReStore?

ReStore locations accept donations of gently used and new home improvement items like appliances, cabinets, countertops, doors, flooring, even paint, windows, hardware and furniture. Every location is a little different. The goods are sold to the public at a fraction of their retail prices and the benefits are multi-fold.

Consumers get terrific deals on needed items, donors get the tax deduction, plus every item sold is an item that doesn’t go into a land fill. It’s an environmentally and socially responsible method of increasing available funds for Habitat for Humanity.

“It is a fund-raising operation,” explains ReStore director Tim Kenney. “We collect donated materials and resell them to the public with the proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. We’re keeping over a million pounds of items out of the landfills each year.”

What about donating? The donation line is 410-633-0506. Donations are tax deductible, and they can even arrange for pick up at your location. Companies bringing in donations get their logo added to the website and newsletter as well as a “thank you” on the in-store donation board.

And the shopping?

“There is no membership required,” continued Kenney. “We’re open to the public, and people can find pretty much anything from housewares and furniture to wood doors and cabinets. We also carry a small amount of things like paint, brushes, etc. at extremely discounted prices. It’s worth stopping here first.” The upcoming grand opening of the third store comes along with 20% off of the already bargain prices, food and free ice cream.

Habitat for Humanity provides affordable housing to those in need through an application process. The work is accomplished thanks to a host of volunteers. But it’s not just about offering an affordable home. Habitat homeowners also put in their own sweat equity into their own home, and volunteering to help others. They receive 50 hours of financial literacy training, budget building, home-buyer counseling and home repair instruction. Habitat works to rehabilitate existing housing as much as possible. All work and new construction are built to green and healthy standards.

Donating to, or shopping at, any of the ReStore locations helps support the local Habitat for Humanity program. “One hundred percent of the proceeds support our regional Habitat affiliate,” explains Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake CEO Mike Mitchell. “We encourage home owners and builders alike to visit our ReStores.”

For more information about ReStore, visit www.chesapeakerestore.org.