Press release from Habitat for Humanity:
Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore Celebrates Open House at New Location on Wells Street
The newly relocated Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Habitat’s building materials thrift store, is ready for business at its new site, 3837 N. Wells St. in Fort Wayne. To officially mark the ReStore’s opening, an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 20.
The Fort Wayne ReStore had outgrown the space at its previous location on Wallace Street, and the Wells Street site offers an expanded showroom area where customers can browse thousands of recycled items ranging from building materials to lighting and plumbing fixtures to flooring and other hardware, tools and supplies.
Carol Keplar, executive director of Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity, noted additional benefits of the new location. “Not only does the new facility provide three times the display area for the amazing array of items that ReStore offers,” Keplar said, “it also offers greater accessibility to the public, making it easier for them to shop and for people to make donations of new or gently used building supplies. We’re excited to be on Wells Street, and we’re sure we’ll be able to make even greater contributions to the environment and to the mission of Habitat for Humanity.”
Habitat for Humanity ReStores are retail outlets where quality, used and surplus building materials are sold at a fraction of normal prices. Proceeds from sales help Habitat for Humanity fund the construction of simple, affordable homes within Allen County. Fort Wayne Habitat has constructed 127 homes in Allen County and an additional 78 homes internationally, and plans to build an additional 10 homes this year.
The environment benefits from ReStore operations because donated items do not end up in landfills. In 2008, the Fort Wayne ReStore saved more than 120 tons of usable materials from local landfills.
According to Allen Glassburn, board chair for Habitat for Humanity in Fort Wayne, the positive impact the organization brings to the environment is equally matched by the availability of lower-cost building materials for the community and the ultimate mission of Habitat for Humanity – making simple and affordable housing available to those in need. Glassburn noted, “The organization achieves amazing success by linking people in need with local partners to create shelter while advancing a sense of community.
“The new, larger Fort Wayne ReStore would not have been possible without the generous support of Do-It-Best Corp. and Indiana Michigan Power. A $150,000 grant from the AEP Foundation through I&M and the layout and design expertise of Do-It-Best Corp. have made ReStore a welcome addition to the organization.”
Individuals who make donations to the ReStore – either monetary or reusable building materials and supplies – are provided with receipts for tax purposes. Smaller items may be dropped off at the store during business hours, or arrangements can be made for ReStore personnel to pick up large, pre-approved items by contacting the store at 260-470-4200. The Fort Wayne Habitat ReStore is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
About Habitat for Humanity:
Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity, Inc. is an ecumenical, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. By having needy and affluent people work together in equal partnership, Habitat builds new relationships and a sense of community as well as new housing. Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity is one of 1,500 independently incorporated affiliates in the U.S. and Canada, and thousands of other projects in over 100 countries worldwide working at a grass-roots level to meet these goals. As part of its Christian mission, Habitat tithes 10% of its non-restricted contributions to Habitat International which is used to build homes for needy families in developing countries worldwide. Such homes range in cost from $500 to $4,000. For additional information contact Habitat for Humanity at 260-422-4828.
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