LaGrange’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore celebrated World Habitat Day on Monday with balloons, cake, Starbucks coffee, store-wide 20 percent discounts and several raffles. The cake and coffee may be gone but the celebration is going to be continued with additional bargains and events for the next two months.
The LaGrange ReStore was originally the old Steward building and, at first, when Habitat bought the building, the store was only opened on Saturdays. The ReStore now is regularly open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday the store opens at the same time but closes two hours earlier. The hours of operation are not the only changes the store has undergone.
It is now well organized with a much greater variety of merchandise. Each of the Habitat for Humanity ReStores are a bit different. LaGrange’s store focuses on home improvement goods, furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. The store even has a great collection of exercise equipment, televisions and books. There is both new and used materials and at times, the merchandise can move in and out of the store quite quickly. All of the items that are being sold are in working order.
The ReStore provides funds for the running of the store and for building and refurbishing homes in our community. Nancy Noble, director of development and community outreach, said, ” Stuff comes in, we convert it to cash and then the money goes back into the community.”
The refurbishing of a donated house here in LaGrange is the next local project that will be finished later this month. A refurbishing, a refurb, is when an existing house is reconfigured, repaired and updated to become the new home of a deserving family. Novelis, the aluminium rolling and beverage can recycling giant out of Atlanta, is providing funds and volunteers to complete this project so the project is being called the Novelis house.
Much more is needed when a new home is built by Habitat for Humanity. The actual money that is needed is approximately 50,000 dollars, additional donated materials are used and 2000 hours of sweat equity goes into every new home. Although there isn’t any interest, the new homeowners do carry a mortgage and must also contribute 400 hours of unpaid labor to build their own home or someone else’s. A sponsor of the building of a new home donates funds, materials and labor but many times these responsibilities are shared between more than one organization.
“Jerry Clement is a builder here in LaGrange and he donates the house plans for our new builds,” Noble said. “There are a lot of unsung heroes who help us all the time, we are developing a recognition program for them,” she said.
“We do raise money and put it back into the community but 10 percent of it must go to Habitat International, that is the golden rule,” Noble said. “You are partnered with another country, we are partnered with Honduras and we just finished a home in La Ceiba, Honduras this past June,” she said.
“Chair of Hope” is a raffle that the ReStore is sponsoring to raise funds for its work in our community. The chair was donated to the store but was badly in need of repairs. A beautiful pink and white brocade fabric had also been donated. Lamar and Mike of Austin’s Upholstery did a beautiful job of refurbishing and recovering the chair. The newly revived chair is now proudly on display at the LaGrange Habitat ReStore. Raffle tickets are one dollar and are still available at the store. The winning raffle ticket will be drawn at 3:30 p.m., on Oct. 31st.
The LaGrange Habitat for Humanity ReStore is always in need of new and lightly used merchandise, office supplies for the store, volunteers and of course cash donations. Volunteers are needed to work in the store, help with computer support and as drivers for picking up and delivering merchandise. Tax receipts are given for donated materials.
There are always specials and weekly discounts being offered at the ReStore. A silent auction is held once a month and a 15 percent discount on all merchandise is given on Tuesdays. During October, the ReStore will also be open on Mondays as well. Soon to open in the store will be an entire section of Christmas decorations.
Remember, you can help the LaGrange Habitat for Humanity ReStore help others near and far by donating, shopping and volunteering.
The ReStore uses Facebook to display current stock and to advertise their weekly and monthly specials and events. You may also contact them by email at restore@tcchfh.org, or by phone at 706-837-0702.
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