By Bill Parry
Habitat for Humanity New York City, a nonprofit that builds and preserves affordable homes across the borough, celebrated the third anniversary of ReStore in Woodside last weekend.
ReStore is a retail concept store it operates in Woodside that accepts donated, new and gently used home furnishings and sells them to the public at a discount of 50 to 80 percent off the retail value. All proceeds from ReStore go to support Habitat NYC’s programs.
ReStore is coming off a record-breaking year in which it completed more than 1,600 sales, an increase of 25 percent over the last fiscal year. Since it opened in 2015, the facility has diverted two million pounds of waste by reselling goods that would otherwise go to the landfills.
“At Habitat NYC, we know that a home is more than four walls and a roof. It is the couch everyone gathers on for Sunday football, the kitchen cabinets stocked with the family’s favorite snacks, the bed you crawl into at the end of each long day,” Habitat for Humanity New York City CEO Karen Haycox said. “The Habitat NYC ReStore’s third year has been its best yet, with incredible partnerships bringing the best quality goods to our bargain-friendly and mission-driven customers. By shopping at ReStore, New Yorkers are not only saving money, but giving back to our communities.”
ReStore, located at 62-01 Northern Blvd., sells new and gently used appliances, hard wood and leather furniture, cabinets and kitchens, windows, doors and it collects donated of overstocked, secondhand, used and discontinued items and building materials from all five boroughs of New York City.
Larger quantity building materials such as sheetrock, hardwood flooring, carpeting are available at a separate warehouse location. ReStore is staffed partially by volunteers who help load and unload merchandise and work one on one with the customers.
“I started [with Habitat NYC] helping in the construction of Habitat homes. Quite frankly, it was a long day and it was hard. I then volunteered to work in the ReStore in Queens,” Irwin Kutz, a retired educational supervisor, said. “The staff at ReStore are extremely nice and welcoming. It has been very rewarding working at the ReStore. I love assisting the customers and doing whatever is necessary to help in the running of the store. It is very satisfying working at the ReStore. I love assisting the customers who frequent the store. I know I get more out of working at the ReStore than the ReStore gets from me. The old adage is true, ‘It’s much better to give than receive.’ The ReStore gives me that opportunity.”
For more information on about how to donate to, shop, or volunteer at ReStore, visit www.habit
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
