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Editor's Note: As the Laboratory's 2004 United Way campaign continues through November, the Daily Newsbulletin will periodically publish news stories about United Way agencies. As of last Thursday, about $74,000 has been raised in pledges and donations in this year's campaign.

Yvonne Maestas looks over a number of stoves donated to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. Habitat for Humanity is a United Way provider agency. Photo courtesy of Community Relations (CRO) Office

ReStore finds new uses for old materials

Northern New Mexico residents needing home repairs on a tight budget now have a valuable ally in the Habitat For Humanity ReStore at the corner of U.S. 84-285 and Boneyard Road in Arroyo Seco. The warehouse and its yard are filled with building materials and supplies -- everything from windows and doors to sinks, stoves, lighting fixtures, paint and small hardware items.

Most are sold to the public for pennies on the dollar, compared to retail prices, but some new items are priced at 50 percent of the original price.

"There are about 50 ReStores throughout the United States," said manager Yvonne Maestas. "They were started because contractors and individuals like to donate building materials to Habitat for Humanity. In the past, we'd use what we could on our building projects and then have a yard sale. But we just had so much stuff that we needed to do this fulltime."

Habitat for Humanity, a United Way agency whose mission is to partner with families in need of decent housing, manages the ReStore, with the assistance of other community partners and neighbors.

"It's been really exciting," Maestas said. "The store is empowering families to do their own home repairs, even if they thought they couldn't afford it. We have exterior doors for $25, which is a significant saving. A single mom came in recently who had no interior doors in her house. The family had been living for years with curtains hanging in doorways and she was able to have doors for the first time.

"What's great about Habitat for Humanity is that you see immediate results," Maestas said.

Some unusual donations have included hot tubs, which sold quickly, and two pianos. "We had never had a piano donated before and we had two at once, one from Dixon and one from Los Alamos," Maestas said.

Between 20 and 60 customers daily, some from as far away as Taos and Questa, visit the ReStore, to browse the aisles of donated materials, to volunteer at the cash register or just to socialize.

Maestas has been on the staff at Habitat for Humanity for five years and has volunteered for seven. She said the organization survives on sales from the ReStore and contributions from United Way, which recently added Habitat for Humanity to its list of member agencies.

"The partnership with United Way has been a blessing," she said. "When I first signed on, we had no funds and we just worked really hard all of the time. Now we are able to look around for property to build houses on and pay off the ones we had already purchased."

The Española Valley and Los Alamos chapter is about to begin its third new construction project. Maestas explained that in the Española Valley, a larger need is home repair; she said Habitat for Humanity recently completed its 21st home repair project.

"It's sometimes difficult to find clients for new homes who meet our guidelines," she said. "But most of the home repairs have been for elderly people and the sweat equity they contribute can be making coffee or lunch or doing paperwork."

Most of the ReStore's volunteers are elderly, so Maestas is particularly grateful for the help the agency receives from some of its neighbors.

"Some of the local contractors and businesses have really supported us," Maestas said, noting that a local company, Rios Salvage, demolished an apartment complex and gave the ReStore 40 stoves. "They have also given us insulation and lumber over the years," she added.

The ReStore is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. All donations are tax deductible.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity or the ReStore, go to www.la-tierra.com/habitat-evla/ online.

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