SEARCY: Habitat for Humanity opens ReStore to fund projects, offer deals

By Amy Widner

LITTLE ROCK — Community volunteers build Habitat for Humanity houses to provide affordable housing for families in need: nail by nail, brick by brick.

Just as challenging, however, is they work they do to raise the money for those projects: penny by penny, dollar by dollar.

After a little more than two years, the White County Habitat affiliate, based in Searcy, has finished one house and has two more in the works. They know what it’s like to fight that fundraising battle. Young chapters have empty treasuries andan especially hard time raising funds, board member Michelle Davis said. But tonight’s grand opening for their Habitat Re-Store - 5-6 p.m. at the store, 210 W. Mulberry St. in Searcy - is a sign the chapter is putting down roots.

“The ReStore is the next step,” Davis said. “Up until now, we’ve really had to depend on donations and sponsorships to fund the houses we’ve built. With the ReStore, we’re stepping in the direction of being able to raise internal funds. We’ll still rely on donations, but theincome from this will go directly back into the Habitat program to help us build houses. It will help out a lot.”

A Habitat ReStore is a retail store that sells household items like building supplies, used furniture and appliances but no clothes or toys. Most of the donations come from businesses, but individual donations are also welcome. ReStore items are usually priced at about half the list price, and the proceeds go to building Habitat houses.

The store’s manager, Gary Yarbrough, said so many people have helped make the store’s opening possible, he’s afraid a list would leave someone out. Yarbrough, a retired car salesman, has been working to ready the store since the beginning of August. He’s cleaned, mowed, fixed, painted, built and tinkered - enough that the store has actually been open for about two weeks, although its shelves have been a little sparse.

Yarbrough and Davis hope that will change after tonight’s launch - where a major sponsor, whose donation tipped the scales to make the store a reality - will be announced. They envision the store having more items for sale, extended hours and a volunteerstaff of workers.

Right now it’s just Yarbrough, who will especially need help when he goes to pick up large items in the store’s truck, a service available for those who want to donate but have no way of getting the items to the store.

Yarbrough hopes that other people, like him, decide to volunteer their time. He’s been retired since April and was initially hesitant to get involved.

“I want to thank Karen Davis and Paula Petty (board members),” Yarbrough said. “They twisted my arm in the beginning, and I want to thank them for that. They really help me every day, and I appreciate it. ... I thought about it for a long time, and I did pray about it before I made the decision. ... I just wanted to do something to help somebody and get out there and do things for others. And this is a good cause ... We’re doing all of this because we want to help build homes. That’s what it’s all about.”

According to the Habitat for Humanity Web site, the nonprofit is a nondenominational Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness, making decent shelter commonplace. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses across the world, providing morethan 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

The ReStore number is (501) 278-5530, which is also the number to call for the large-item pickup service. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. The pick-up service is available on Tuesday and Wednesday. Donations are tax deductible. Davis said volunteers are always needed and can work in a variety of capacities. More information about Habitat for Humanity is available online at www.habitat.org.

- awidner@ arkansasonline.com

Three Rivers, Pages 49, 50 on 10/09/2008