ReStores now bringing in additional service to the Wellington, Dufferin, and Guelph communities
Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin, ON — If you haven’t been to a Habitat for Humanity Wellington Dufferin Guelph ReStore lately, now is the time to see what’s new. While it’s always a good idea to stop in often and find the hidden treasures before they’re gone, there is one new permanent addition that will be there whenever you visit…donation bins!
The installation of bins at the Guelph, Fergus and Orangeville ReStores came about because the community spoke and they listened! certain items were not previously accepted under the ReStore model, but they recognized that this needed to change. The community wanted a ‘one-stop-shop’ for donating, and that’s what Habitat WDG created. Director of Retail Operations, Tanja Zoric, explored available options that would allow ReStores to accept a greater array of donations and thus increase the donor experience as well as the ReStore revenues which ultimately help put more families in homes. Habitat ReStores accept donations of new and gently used items that are sold to raise money to support the vision of a world where everyone has a decent and affordable place to live. The ReStore provides an affordable avenue for improvement projects while keeping tons of perfectly good items from ending up in landfills.
“Nobody wants to turn away donations, especially when we are turning those donations into affordable housing”, says Zoric. “People come to our ReStores with the intention of supporting the community and helping to reduce waste – so it’s our job to make that as easy as possible for them. We want to be every donor’s first choice!”.
The Guelph and Orangeville ReStores have two bins each, located just in front of the store. The Fergus ReStore has one bin located inside the rear donation drop off door.
These safe and easy to spot metal bins mean visitors to the ReStore can not only donate furniture, lighting, plumbing and other ReStore staples, they can also contribute items such as clothing, shoes, bedding, toys, books, jewelry, kitchenware, drapery – and even purses.
Customers are happy that they can do one-stop donations and no longer have to visit multiple donation sites
Deb Stanson, Fergus ReStore Manager.
The bins, secured in partnership with Recycling Rewards, come with multiple benefits.
In 2017 alone, the Recycling Rewards program helped divert approximately 20 million pounds of textiles from landfills. The bins can also help to increase foot traffic to ReStores and create a new donor stream – while optimizing the donor experience for existing supporters.
Vanessa Ward, Orangeville ReStore Manager
Our customers are happy that the donation bins now mean we can accept small household items, dishes, linens, clothing and even books. These were things that we previously did not accept. Now we can offer our community a truly complete donation centre, and that allows Habitat to be the first thought on a person’s mind when clearing out items that may not be useful to them anymore, but still useful for others.”
About Habitat for Humanity Wellington Dufferin Guelph
Founded in 2000, Habitat for Humanity Wellington Dufferin Guelph (Habitat WDG) is a non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. Our mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting home ownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.