Nonprofit shop wants volunteers for makeover
Habitat for Humanity, known for bringing volunteers together to build affordable homes for those in need, is in need of a little help itself at its Chicago Heights ReStore.
The nonprofit ReStores are home improvement and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, building materials, appliances and accessories, and are the No. 1 means of raising funds for Habitat’s building projects, said Heidi Serena, manager of Will County’s Habitat for Humanity and its ReStore in Joliet.
“You don’t want something to fail that is doing so much good in the community. We give back to the community, and now the community needs to give back to us,” Serena said.
Mike Henderson, executive director of the Chicago Heights shop, is calling for volunteers to come together April 28 to spruce up his store at 180 W. Joe Orr Road. He plans to make it a fun and festive community event.
On the exterior, Henderson said he wants to dress up the support beams with planters. His goal is to get the materials donated and have community members help build them.
Serena is looking for workers to fix the sagging overhang, and possibly spruce up the signage.
Inside, there are painting projects.
The 8,000-square-foot Chicago Heights ReStore is in an otherwise-abandoned shopping center and is one of the largest in the area, Henderson said.
“It needs a little love, but we can’t do it with a limited staff,” said Serena, who wants to turn this store around, like the one she did in Joliet.
She spearheaded a similar makeover at the Joliet store when it moved during the summer into the former Century Tile store on Larkin Avenue, which resulted in a “substantial” increase in foot traffic and sales, she said.
“People look at it differently now. It’s becoming a trendy place to go,” Serena said, predicting that it will have a “domino effect,” and bring in more donations and volunteers.
Henderson said the reconfiguration in Chicago Heights has been about a 90-day process. He said much work has been done inside, where Serena has been busy “staging” the furniture to make it look more homelike, and incorporating other changes to make it more inviting.
Serena said she has a knack for looking beyond the surface and she sees “a lot of possibilities here.”
“This can be a Cinderella story. We can make this store thrive,” she said.
New items come from companies that have overstock or returns, she said, noting the Chicago-area stores have been receiving new merchandise and sizable donations from The Room Place, La-Z-Boy and Wayfair.
The new furniture has given his store a “new look,” Henderson said.
Henderson said he has stools, furniture, a huge supply of building materials, doors and windows and a shipment of paint coming soon for do-it-yourself projects.
Over the next six months he plans to expand his store into an adjacent space, which will add 5,000 square feet for building materials.
Serena’s work has had an impact, Henderson said, adding that he has seen an increase in foot traffic, resulting in sales in excess of $7,000 for two weeks this month. Over the past six months, his highest sales figure was $6,500 for a week, he said.
The new products are moving, but Henderson said he also is “rethinking” how they engage with customers and donors.
His store has tripled its marketing efforts through social media and direct mail, and updates its website regularly to show the products that just arrived.
Within a month, Henderson plans to have online auctions and options for customers to schedule a pick up.
What sets the ReStore apart from similar stores is that crews will pick up items from homes and businesses in the surrounding area that people wish to donate, he said.
The public also can drop off donated goods.
As an additional outreach, Henderson is planning a meet and greet for corporate sponsors so they can “see what we do, see our store, talk about building plans and get them on board,” he said.
The Home Depot Foundation has contributed $11,000 to Habitat for Humanity for its building projects and Whole Foods will earmark “one dime at a time” during April, May and June for Habitat.
When customers bring in their own grocery bag, they can opt for a 10-cent credit or donate it.
Serena thinks the ReStores have been a well-kept secret and she and Henderson are determined to change that.
“People don’t really know what the ReStore is,” she said, explaining that it is the place to “shop, donate and volunteer.”
“People do not realize they can get brand new items here. And so many other things can be repurposed,” she said.
Serena said the Joliet store will have demonstrations on how to recycle furniture.
“If anyone has a talent, we’d love to have them,” Serena said.
The ReStores also are a perfect place for high school and college students to earn community service hours, Serena said.
For longtime volunteer Kristen Scalpelli, of Plainfield, the ReStore is a “do-it-yourselfer’s paradise.”
“That’s how I got started coming to the Restore. It’s something new every day. This is definitely a jewel in the rough,” she said.
“I love Habitat. The money goes exactly where it needs to go,” she said.
Those wishing to volunteer on April 28 can contact Henderson at
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
