As Halloween approaches  many of us get ready to be delighted and surprised by trick and treaters coming to our doors. I love seeing neghbourhood children dressed in their costumes and excited about the treats they are about to recieve.   I didn't expect to get a Halloween treat myself when I visited the Habitat Restore in Pulaski, but that is exactly what happened.  Let me explain......

 The Restore is Habiat for Humanity's home improvement warehouse and is known for its low prices on building materials.  The Restore accepts donations of new and surplus building materials from donors and resells them to the public. They use proceeds from the store to support Habitat's mission to eliminate poverty housing.  I had heard that the Restore had some decorative Halloween items  for sale and I was curious about what they might be. I did not know what a treat my visit to the Restore would be!

My first surprise happened when I entered the Restore doors.  I wasn't disappointed, the rumor was true -there were  Halloween decorations.   But there was also a choice of Christmas decorations ( way to early for me! I haven't even had Halloween yet!)
This was just the beginning.  I have been known to spend lost hours browsing in major home improvement stores but the Restore was different.  Sure, as expected,  they had a wide selection of doors, cabinets, countertops, flooring , paint and lighting, but they also had treasures that you would not norrmally find in a building improvement warehouse.  First there was the old upright piano,  the pick-up truck bed liners, and the massage table. Next I saw the donated crutches and canes and commodes. Computers, monitors, and keyboards in a building materilas depot?  Appliances and furniture- ok, I have seen this in other stores- but not at these low prices.  The best  for me was just around the corner - in the back of the store.  Here I found myself slipping back in time.  On a book shelf I found Berstien and Woodward's "All the President's Men"  and was on my way back to the Nixon era, then I spotted the huge collection of National Geographic magazines, back to my school days, The collection of encyclopedia Britanica- memories of my parents and their belief in a good education.  I was re-living my childhood memories.  What a powerful Halloween trick this had been- and what a treat!!

Appliances  Freezers, Refrigerators, washers and dryers are in demand. We accept dishwashers less than 5 years old, in clean and 100% working order,  All other appliances 10 years old or less, must be clean in working order with no missing parts. We will test them when they come in to assure they are working. If they do not work we will not accept them.  If you have operation manuals, please include them with your donated appliance

Cabinets  We will take cabinets in complete units. They must have doors, shelving , display racks etc.  We also accept cabinet hardware: handles, hinges, door knobs etc.

Doors  We accept doors if they are in GOOD condition only. They must not have holes, cracks, rot etc.  All types of doors are welcome: Wood, Metal, interior, exterior, French, patio doors etc.

Electrical:  We accept wire, plugs , swithes, outlet boxes,  wire caps, light fixtures, breakers, fuse boxes, etc.

Fans

We accept fans if they are complete and in working condition only.

Flooring material

We accept laminate and hard woord flooring, Any amounts of tile, We will accept vinyl flooring, but NO SCRAPS, PLEASE!!. We DO NOT accept shag carpet, but will accept carpeting if it DOES NOT have stains or worn areas.

Furniture

No broken pieces (we do not have means to fix anything). Must be free of mold, mildew, stains, tears and pet hair. Normal wear and tear is acceptable. Must be "resale-able" condition

Gardening Materials

If you're re-landscaping your yard or garden, please consider donating your old bedding plants, bushes and trees to the ReStore. Schedule a pickup time today! Your plants will either help landscape a Habitat home or be sold at the ReStore.

Hardware
We accept hardware for doors, cabinets, etc. Almost all types if it's in good condition and not rusty

Household Goods

No broken pieces (we do not have means to fix anything), in good condition. Jewelry, books, CDs, DVDs, decorative and seasonal items, arts and crafts, artwork, etc.

Lighting
 We accept all light fixtures in working condition. (No ballasts with pcb's.) Hanging fixtures, wall fixtures, and lamps. Interior and exterior.

Lumber • Plywood • Sheetrock • Trim

We accept full and1/2 sheets of plywood. We accept full lengths of lumber. We will accept trim in smaller pieces, but not less than 4 feet long. Please, no rot or nails sticking out of lumber.

Mirrors and Glass Mirrors and glass items with no cracks or broken edges, and in clean condition. Mirrors must be in frames or have ground edges to prevent injury.

Pipe • Pvc • Metal • Copper

We accept 4' and over of any type of pipe, and all supplies and fittings.

Paint • Wallcoverings

We will take full containers of latex paint purchased from a paint store! NO LEFTOVERS! We cannot take toxic, hazardous substances, (i.e. pesticides, powders, paint thinners, or other chemicals). Wallpaper is taken in full-unopened rolls.

Plumbing: Sinks, Tubs, Vanities and Comodes
 We accept tubs, sinks and vanities if they are in good condition and clean. We accept commodes only if they are in working condition and are the low flush (1.6 gallon) type. They must be very clean!! We will not take a dirty commode under any circumstance

Tools
We accept hand tools and power tools in good, clean working condition.
Roofing Material • Gutters • Canales

We accept all types of roofing material such as rolled roofing material, tar, metal roofing, bundles of new shingles. We also accept roofing gutter/canale materials that are in full pieces and are not rusty, bent up or damaged.

Windows and Screens  We accept DOUBLE PANE windows of all types if the glass is intact. Most windows will show use, even if they are newer. If they are casement type, we appreciate having the hardware and cranks.

Our Restore in Pulaski is one of the most unique stores you will find.  The Restore sells new and surplus donated building materials and other home improvement items. However, unlike the major recognized home improvement chain stores, the Restore items change daily.  Looking for a hard to find bird bath, an old piano, or the perfect chadelier for your  home make-over.  You might find these at the Restore along with more regular items like doors, windows cabinets, flooriing or paint.  An item you saw in the store one your last visit may not be there the next time because rather than stocking the items from a warehouse, the store is stocked based on donations which are unpredictable.  One solution, is to visit the Restore frequently  to get first chances at new donated items.  However, if you are really looking for a special, hard to find item, why not sign up to have your  item listed in our "wanted book" We will call you, on a first listed basis, when we recieve the donated item. 

The Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley Restore is having a ribbon cutting event on September 17th 2010 at the Habitat Restore in Pulaski.   The Pulaski Chamber of Commerce has invited its members to the 2 o'clock event, to celebrate with Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley as it expands it's services to the community.

The Restore has invited the public to it's Grand Re-openning the following day September 18th from 10 am to 6 pm.  Customers will enjoy $1.00 hot dogs, door prizes and music.   Bravo to the Restore Committee and to Kimberly Snider, our Restore manager for co-ordinating this  event.

 Habitat for Humanity Inc. of the New River Valley is expanding its business hours by 50% at the Restore in Pulaski as part of its ongoing effort to strengthen its capacity to serve the New River Valley. The Habitat Restore sells new and surplus building improvement materials to help fund Habitat's goal of eliminating poverty housing by building adequate housing for those in need. The Restore had reduced its opening hours in 2009 to reduce costs and to stabilize finances for the organization which at the time was coping with a drop in donations and the April 2009 resignation of its former Executive Director. The board of directors has worked hard over the past year resolve the financial challenges that it faced and its decision to expand the Restore hours is a positive sign that the organization has been making good progress. Starting  September 18th ,2010, Habitat's Pulaski Restore will now be open six days each week instead of four!

   James Black,
    Chair
    JBlack323@aol.com

   Michael Thom                            Susan Rigney,
    Vice Chair                                                 Secretary/Treasurer
     mdtsr546@yahoo.com                              srigney69@comcast.net


   Tony Asselin CPA                       Christine Brownlee 
    aasselin@bev.net                                      christine.brownlie@gmail.com

   Henry Lindsey                            Don Mullins
    deloreslindsey@hotmail.com                      mullinsd@vt.edu

    Jerald Robinson
    jfr@vt.edu

New and surplus home improvement items donated to Habitat for Humanity's Restore located at 1065 East Main St. Pulaski, VA  are resold at deeply discounted prices to help fund Habitat's mission.  Visit the Restore often, new items are donated daily.

Items for sale include , building materials, flooring, windows, doors, paint, electrical and plumbing items, furniture, books and more.