this is the ReStore in Camrose, just outside Alberta's capital city of Edmonton. i did some primary research there when i took my son back to the city to settle into his new digs prior to beginning his 3rd year in engineering @ U of A. the managers of this and several other ReStores have given me the grand tour of their stores, and each has let me pick his or her brain for several hours about staffing, budgets, operations, policies, etc. it's an incredible network of supportive and knowledgeable people who are passionate about making homes affordable for working class people.
ReStores are the retail outlets that sell recycled and donated building materials in support of Habitat for Humanity. Our local affiliate is planning to start a ReStore in 2009. in only 2 sleeps i fly to Regina for the Western Canadian ReStore managers' best practices convention, where i will represent northern alberta and glean all the information i can towards that end. this is the beginning of the realization a longstanding goal for me. i'm like a kid just before christmas.
7 comments:
I just caught sight of the Portland ReStore a couple of days ago and thought of you. It really is a great program to be involved with. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the project works out as you hope.
Very cool! I'd never heard of Restores. What a great idea.
susan & gary - i'm here! and just spent the last 4 hours this evening schmoozing with very knowledgeable people who cheerfully let me pick their brains and fed me white wine. this just keeps getting better!!
Congratulations on this initiative, it’s bound to be great success but also a lot of hard work.........which judging by your comments you aleady finding thoroughly enjoyable.
More than 70 homes have been completed down under by Habitat for Humanity with a further 40 family home projects progressing this year.
Best wishes
sorry I started to rant on there!
the Restore project sounds fabulous and I wish there was one here!! we've lots of good second hand stores but few of them go for bigger household furniture.
lindsay - hard work isn't a deterrent. i'm a bit of a workoholic - relaxing is what i have a hard time doing - so i seem to be drawn to overwhelming projects. i have hopes of seeing australia one day... you've given me even more motivtaion to put it on my 'must do' list. we have 72 habitat for humanity affiliates in canada - 52 ReStores (soon to be 53!) we've built 9 homes so far, in our affiliate.
claire - i did a search... there don't seem to be any habitat for humanity affiliates in scotland. that's the first requirement for having a ReStore - as their main purpose is to support the building of more hfh homes. there is an affiliate in belfast, ireland, though - and 2 in england; one in southwark and another in liverpool.
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