BOISE, Idaho — If you’re looking to do a DIY project or have any home improvement plans, but you don’t want to break the bank, you may want to check out Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.
The non-profit is helping families make their house a home in more ways than one.
“I feel that we are just doing a great thing for the community,” Compton
Habitat for Humanity started Restore, a home improvement thrift store, in an effort to provide more affordable items for low income families.
Ricky Compton is the store manager for the Overland location, and he says that the need for a space like this is only growing as the Treasure Valley grows too.
Some of the items they look for are:
“Cabinetry, lumber, tile, electrical items, any kind of building material that you can think of that would go into a house,” says Compton.
One of those low price tagged items that surprised me are the washing machines.
If you’re looking to buy an appliance like a washer, dryer or refrigerator, all of them are tested, and if they don’t run well they’re used for parts before they hit the landfill.
“Absolutely, every one of them are tested before they go out on the floor and they will have a tag on them that guarantees them for 30 days,” says Gordon, a volunteer at the ReStore.
The money made through the home improvement thrift store then goes into Habitat for Humanity's mission of building and furnishing homes for low income families in need.
“Customers are really good at donating and coming in and finding the good deals,” says Compton.
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Not only does reusing these items help lift a weight off customers’ wallets, but it also helps our environment by relieving some of what would end up in landfills.
“I have been out to the landfills a few times and seen people dumb things and I am like ‘Oh my gosh, here is my card, bring this to my store and we will repurpose it,’ and there is a lot of creative people,” says Compton.
You can help by joining those volunteers, donating your unwanted home improvement items or by shopping at either of the ReStore locations here in the Treasure Valley.
