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ReStore shop expands at new location
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Judy Paul, left, and Lisa Castleman, both with Keller Williams Real Estate, work on price tags as part of a volunteer project at the relocated Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The store has move from Murphy Boulevard to the old Archie’s Sporting Goods store on Skelton Road. - photo by Tom Reed

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore has expanded into a new location off of Skelton Road.

The ReStore is a second-hand shop for construction materials and household furnishings. All sales go toward building and remodeling homes for those in need.

ReStore Manager Margaret Hart said the old location was “bursting at the seams.”

“We’ve moved the offices, we’ve moved everything into a new location,” Hart said. “Not only is it larger but there’s more visibility.”

The store also extended its hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

So far, things are going very well at the new location.

“We’ve had a lot of new customers,” Hart said.

Hart said the ReStore really serves a double purpose — people are able to purchase goods at reduced prices while donating to Habitat for Humanity.

“The ReStore is all about recycling,” she said. “When people remodel and redecorate, instead of throwing things away in a landfill, we resell them.”

Just about anything involved in renovation can be found there, including furniture, appliances, light fixtures and cabinets.

Almost all items in the store are sold for less than $100, with many marked under $30.

“It’s a blessing to the families that shop here because there’s a lot of people who can’t afford to shop in regular stores,” Hart said.

“There’s also people who are treasure hunters. We have people who are faithful and come to see us every week.”

 Habitat for Humanity builds homes in several different ways, Hart said.

One way is through Women Build, a mostly female group that builds one home each year. Hart said the goal is to empower women and get them involved in the construction process, which is something that can be intimidating for women in mixed groups.

The Women Build group manages the ReStore, she said.

Hart said if sales grow, the organization would eventually like to use some of the earnings from the ReStore for Habitat High. Habitat High is a partnership with Hall County Schools that gives students the opportunity to learn construction skills while building homes for Habitat for Humanity clients.

“With every donation, people are helping to build homes, with every purchase,” Hart said. “The impact on lives is just huge.”