ReStore Score

This blog entry was written by The Mrs. and is reproduced here with her permission (thank you!).

Check out The Mrs.'s blogs for yourself at: http://www.themrs.ca

ReStore Score

I don't like shopping second hand. I really, really don't.

It has nothing to do with image or pride or the ick factor of rummaging through someone else's things. No, what turns me off is the all-or-nothing feeling I get when I survey what looks like an airplane hangar full of mostly uncategorized stuff.

You know, that feeling. The one that tells your one functioning eyeball (or in your case, possibly two) "You have to look at every. single. thing. in here before you'll find anything useful to you."

So imagine my surprise when - as one of the cold, rainy day activities we came up with to do with Mr's parents, in the absence of anything remotely resembling nice weather - we walked into our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and immediately saw these babies:

Five matching chairs. Five oak chairs, in great repair, with leather seats (that we'll re-cover some fine day). Five heavy chairs. Did I mention there were five of them? For $30 each? Down from a price of $45 each?

To understand my bone-deep excitement, let's step back a moment and think about what kind of seating we had chez Mrs before this angels-singing-down-from-the-sky event:

• Two (pine?) chairs, lovingly found, stained and re-covered by my dear mother when Mr and I first got married ten years ago.
• One sort of similar oak chair restored to match the first two, also by my dear mother.
• One cherry chair with arms, found at a neighbour's yard sale and recovered to match the other ones.

Pause. Okay, that seats me, Mr, Miss in her booster and one guest in reasonable comfort. Jr's still in a highchair but isn't too many months away from being another demanding chair hog.

Let's imagine for a moment we persuade more than one guest to dine with us (unlikely, I know). We also have:

• Two black plastic folding chairs
• One chrome and red vinyl folding chair that - while utterly awesome - also poses a very real threat of dismemberment to anyone brave enough to sit on it.
• I have nothing to put in this spot. I just wanted a third bullet point.

That's it. Four real chairs, two flimsy chairs and a death chair. And heaven forbid we have anyone over with kids, because let's face it: they're safer eating off the floor.

So while $150 on furniture was a completely unbudgeted for item this month, we snatched those babies up faster than you can say "personal injury lawsuit".

Because it's not like I'd ever shell out the money for new ones anyway.

Now is the Perfect Time to Apply!

Habitat’s Construction Supervisors, Joe and Kelly, along with our stalwart volunteers, have begun building what will soon be a three-bedroom, one-bath home on Lombardy Ave in Buena Vista. It’s near Kling Elementary and Victory Baptist church and should be ready to move into in December.

The Habitat home next door to the new build site in Buena Vista.

The new home will be similar to this one.

Do you know someone who could benefit from an affordable, safe and decent home like this one?

Point him/her in the direction of the Lexington Habitat ReStore!

At the back of the Restore is the Habitat office. Here a staff member will provide an application and answer any questions. The application process takes about 15 minutes.

Where: 114 Walker Street, in the same shopping center as the DMV.

When: Mon – Fri 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Sat 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What is Habitat looking for in a successful applicant?

Need of a home. The current living arrangement might be unsafe, overcrowded, or too expensive, or they might simply want to exchange renting for owning a home of their own.

Ability to pay. Habitat homeowners receive a low or no-interest mortgage. Monthly payments are $400 to $450 – less than many people’s rental payments!

Ability to pay includes working at the same job for at least one year and having good or repairable credit. Applicants who have filed bankruptcy within the last year or have an outstanding judgment are not eligible.

Willingness to partner. Habitat homeowners must perform 350 hours of “sweat equity” work before they move into their new home,. This work is usually helping to build their own home and/or the home of another family, but could include working in the office or one of the ReStores.

There are other factors that influence the decision whether or not to approve an applicant.

For more information call the Habitat office at 463-3770.

Building Awesome with Scranton Prep

Scranton Prep volunteers with master gardener, Heather Marion (pink shirt)
Photo by Ashley Coleman

Each summer students from Scranton Preparatory School in Scranton, Pennsylvania come to Lexington, Virginia to build homes with Rockbridge Area Habitat for Humanity. Scranton Prep is a private, Catholic and Jesuit school that requires its students to perform volunteer work. Many students in their junior and senior years choose to go on summer service trips to fulfill that requirement.

This year, the Scranton students worked on Rockbridge Area Habitat’s 49^th and 50^th homes, which belong to Jodie Wilhelm and Terry Foster. The young people worked alongside Jodie and Terry, painting walls and installing insulation, and assisted our volunteer master gardener, Heather Marion, with planting trees in the homeowners’ yards.

Several of the teachers accompanying the high school volunteers have chaperoned multiple Habitat service trips. Kathy Elgaway, a 12^th grade math teacher, returned to Rockbridge Area Habitat for the fourth time this year. She continues to volunteer here because she admires our construction supervisors’ commitment to Habitat and their positive influence on the teenagers. Kathy said, “Joe and Kelly are natural born teachers. They show our students how to work together and give them the opportunity to serve others.”

Tyler Shotto is a rising senior who was excited about being with his peers in this “awesome work environment.” He also appreciated Joe’s knowledge and teaching skills. “Joe is so smart. I’ve learned so much about myself and other people. I would definitely volunteer with Habitat again.”

Another rising senior, Norma Frederick, chose a service project with Habitat because she wanted to work directly with the people she was helping. “It’s nice to see how much Terry appreciates her home and enthusiastic she is,” she said.

Norma was thrilled to have a meaningful role in the building process, and said she enjoyed learning from Habitat’s staff. “Joe and Kelly are excellent. Instead of telling us what to do, they show us and then let us jump right in. Everything is really hands-on.”

Rockbridge Area Habitat is blessed to have volunteers like the students and teachers from Scranton Preparatory School. We look forward to seeing them again next summer!

New Habitat homeowner, Jodie Wilhelm, (in blue shirt) thanking Scranton Prep volunteers.

Photo by Ashley Coleman