After receiving a record number of donated goods last fiscal year, the Habitat for Humanity ReStores in Lee County were able to help offset the costs of building 65 affordable homes.
The ReStores accept gently used furniture, appliances and building materials from homeowners, contractors, and businesses. These items are later sold to the public at a discount rate and 100% of ReStore profits are used to build or rehab homes for local families in Lee and Hendry Counties.
With four locations in Lee County, the ReStore logged 18,846 donation drop-offs or pick-ups this year, an increase of 16% from 2017-2018.
“We make donating to the ReStore easy for our residents and partner businesses. Items can be dropped off at any of our four stores or a pick-up can be scheduled for larger items,” said Tammy Moran, vice president of ReStore Administration. “The more donated goods we receive, the more items we can sell to support Habitat’s mission of building decent and affordable homes.”
Through donations and volunteer labor, Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties built and sold a total of 65 homes to local families in fiscal year 2018-19. Families in need of a hand up partner with Habitat to build a place they can call home. Qualified Habitat homebuyers undergo a rigorous process of investing 300 hours of “sweat equity” and completing homeownership classes which include financial literacy and home maintenance.
“We know housing that is safe, healthy and affordable is foundational for families to thrive,” said Becky Lucas, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties. “Our ReStores are instrumental in supporting our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
There are four ReStore locations in Lee County: South Fort Myers at 16133 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs at 9080 Bonita Beach Rd., North Fort Myers at 31 Willis Road and a new store in Fort Myers at 15271 McGregor Blvd.
Donated goods can be dropped off at the ReStore, by scheduling a pick-up at habitat4humanity.org/restore or calling (239) 652-0388. Click here to see our list of accepted donations.
