Habitat for Humanity’s Elgin ReStore seeks volunteers

Submitted by Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley ReStore, 800 N. State St., Elgin, is seeking volunteers to help with store operations. ReStore has seen a drop in volunteer hours in the last couple of months. This is mostly due to volunteers who had been unemployed getting back into the workforce.

“We joke that if you’ve been unemployed for a period of time, come and volunteer at ReStore and in about 2 months you’ll get a job. Of course, it’s a good thing for the volunteer, but a challenge for us,” said Lance Dailey, volunteer coordinator.

“On the flip side, we’ve also had a good base of retired folks, but with the economy, some are going back to work to supplement their retirement incomes.”

Other factors contributing to the lack of volunteers are summer vacations, kids out of school and some heading off to college.

Habitat for Humanity was founded on the mission of constructing homes for people living in substandard housing by primarily using volunteers.

The ReStore in Elgin, a fundraising arm of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley, operates on the same principle. With a labor force primarily made up of volunteers, more of ReStore’s proceeds are funneled into home construction and thus more housing is produced for families in need.

Volunteering at ReStore is a great way to meet new people and give back to your community.

“When we opened ReStore over five years ago, we had no idea it would be this successful and so embraced by the community. ReStore has raised enough funds for us to construct 21 homes,” said Barbara Beckman, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley.

“Volunteers are the reason for our success, and we need their help to manage our success!”

In order to operate optimally, ReStore needs 100 volunteers weekly. There are various shifts available and various departments to work in.

ReStore is the perfect place for people who tend to be handy and for do-it-yourselfer types. ReStore tries to match a volunteer’s interest and skill with available duties. Volunteers are needed to process incoming items, stock items, provide customer service on the sales floor, and to assist the driver on pickups. Volunteers at ReStore receive a 10-percent discount on purchases.

For more information, plan to attend one of two volunteer orientations held every month on the first and third Saturdays at 10 a.m. at ReStore. To sign up for an orientation, go to habitatnfv.org and click on Volunteer or call Lance Dailey at (847) 742-9905, ext. 6.