Habitat to open ReStore facility

ReStore - Sisters Habitat for Humanity's new furniture and do-it-yourself store - will be opening its doors on Friday, April 13. The new store will be located in the old Sisters City Hall building at the corner of Main Avenue and Fir Street.

"Habitat has signed an agreement with the city to use the old City Hall for a furniture and construction materials store," said Sisters Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Sharlene Weed.

Lenora Fitzgerald, Sisters Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store and ReStore Manager, told The Nugget that the new store is "going to be on the same order as what we have in Bend and Redmond."

The new store will house merchandise that Habitat simply does not have the space to display at the present store location. The new location will sell major appliances, doors, windows, plumbing and lighting fixtures, building supplies of all kinds, tools, as well as a wide assortment of furniture.

Students from the University of Minnesota and the University of Washington traveled to Sisters during their spring breaks two weeks ago to serve as volunteers for Sisters Habitat for Humanity. They were participants of Habitat for Humanity International's Collegiate Challenge Program. These students helped to upgrade and remodel the old city hall for the new store. (See "College students help Sisters Habitat, The Nugget, March 21, 2007, page 3).

The visiting students repaired the building's roof and knocked out walls to enlarge the store.

"They were just great kids. They were just wonderful," Fitzgerald said.

Before the new ReStore opens, its exterior will be painted the same color of red as the Habitat Thrift Store on Main Avenue to give the building an upbeat, fresh Sisters look.

Habitat anticipates that individuals who are refurnishing and/or remodeling their homes and contractors who have an excess of building supplies and materials will donate merchandise to the new store.

"Customers will be 'do-it-yourselfers' and sometimes we do have business contractors that will come in and buy from us also. It's basically both sides," Fitzgerald said.

Open containers of paint, cleaning supplies or hazardous materials cannot be accepted at the new store.

"Floor cleaners, floor strippers, anything like that, we cannot take those," Fitzgerald said. "If they're brand new - and I do mean brand new - then, yes, we will take them."

Habitat's policy is to only take appliances that are five years old or newer, both for reasons of reliability and energy efficiency.

"We will take some vintage appliances, because we have some in right now, but basically we do not like to take anything that is over five years old," Fitzgerald said.

The make-up of Habitat's original Thrift Store, at 141 W. Main Ave., will change very little. The store will still offer clothing, shoes, small housewares, sporting goods, stationery, fabrics, seasonal items and the like. The major change will be that small appliances will move to the new store.

Unlike the Habitat Thrift Store, ReStore will only be open for business on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hours on Friday and Saturday will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday hours will be noon to 4 p.m. Donations will be accepted at the ReStore location from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

One of the reasons the new facility will be open only three days a week is because of Habitat's limited resource bank of volunteers.

"We really need volunteers, especially men, to work at ReStore," said Fitzgerald. "We need them to price, clean and move."

The hope is that as more volunteers come on board, ReStore will be able to be open more than three days per week. Anyone wishing to volunteer at Habitat's ReStore or at the original thrift store should contact Sisters Habitat for Humanity Program Director Marie Clasen at 549-1193 or Fitzgerald at 549-1740.

Habitat will be accepting items at the new location to stock ReStore during the next two weeks. These items will not be accepted at the present thrift shop location. Anyone wishing to donate furniture, appliances, construction supplies and materials and other suitable items should contact Fitzgerald at the above number to make specific arrangements before dropping off their donations.