“Where the ReStore comes in is that it is one of those funding sources for us. It is our largest source of unrestricted operating revenue, which in the nonprofit world, you know, that’s huge when you get so many different restricted funding (options). So this is something, if you track when the store opened in 2019 and where we are today, you can see Habitat’s growth and ReStore just go up together. So we’re appreciative of what it is,” Logan explained.

“We’re the ones who bring volunteers and funders together to build homes for low-income families here,” he added. “Those families are earning home ownership through sweat equity hours in our programs, through financial literacy. They end up owning that home with a 0% interest mortgage. So they end up paying that back. They build equity. They have an escrow account, just like you and I.”

The ReStore offers a location for volunteers to work off sweat equity hours for their future homes and staff to sort, clean, process, test, and sell donated items to community members in the county in need of discounted home improvement and decor items.

“We change people’s lives. That is our goal is to take somebody who’s been a renter and doesn’t know how to own a home and teach them how to own a home,” Kosciusko Habitat Board Vice Chairman Bill Smith told InkFreeNews.

“People come to us when they come to us. It would be beneficial for someone (to come to Habitat) who is (behind), before they get so far behind, to be involved with us… because we’re just not building a home, we’re building financial literacy,” he continued.

The box truck for large item pickup services by the Kosciusko County Habitat for Humanity is shown.

The ReStore is open every weekend, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays. Logan also mentioned the free pick-up service by the ReStore box truck for large items like cabinets and dressers, or home renovation materials.