HabitatSSBC
By Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County,
Local nonprofit enlists community to help find a new retail space
Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County (Habitat Santa Barbara) is ramping up their search for a new ReStore location, and they are asking for help from the wider community.
ReStore, a Habitat for Humanity brand of resale store, is a nonprofit home improvement store that sells new and gently used building materials, appliances, furniture, home décor, and more.
“Reopening the ReStore is one of our top strategic priorities, and we know how much the community wants a store back,” said Jessica Wishan de L’Arbre, Habitat Santa Barbara’s CEO. “It provides beautiful and practical items to our community at a fraction of the retail cost while providing the added environmental benefit of diverting useful items from the waste stream. It engages amazing community volunteers to support the store’s operations, and most importantly, it provides a revenue stream so that we can further invest in our programs to build and repair affordable housing here in Southern Santa Barbara County.”
Habitat Santa Barbara operated a local ReStore in Goleta until 2020, when they made the difficult decision to close that location at the height of the pandemic closures. They are looking for a new location to reopen this popular community benefit. Store inventory is donated and sold at a fraction of the retail price. All proceeds from a local ReStore would stay local and benefit Habitat Santa Barbara, an organization committed to supporting individuals and families in building or improving a place to call home.
“We know our community members are thoughtful, informed, and observant,” said Lora Fisher, Habitat Santa Barbara Board member and Chair of the ReStore Committee. “We are asking our community to be our eyes and ears as we look for the perfect location to reopen our ReStore.”
The volunteer committee spearheading the search efforts has come up with a list of “must haves” for a new ReStore location:
· Approximately 12,000 sq. ft. minimum
· Acceptable with or without office space
· Location anywhere from Carpinteria to Goleta
· Extra high ceilings needed
· On-site parking 30+ spaces
· ADA Compliant
· Wide Roll-up doors
· Loading dock
You can access the specification sheet on Habitat Santa Barbara’s website.
“We know that the right location is out there, and our community always seems to show up when we need them” continued de L’Arbre. “We are counting on our neighbors to help bring this much-needed resource back so we can all celebrate the gifts a ReStore brings to the community.”
If you have any ideas for a new ReStore location, Habitat Santa Barbara encourages you to reach out to them directly by emailing them at mail@sbhabitat.org.
About Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County
Established in 2000, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County (Habitat Santa Barbara) is a local nonprofit that helps individuals and families build and improve a place to call home. We work towards our vision by building strength, stability, and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing. With the support of volunteers and donors, Habitat Santa Barbara has built 22 new homes for 84 people, 50% of which are children, as well as helped rebuild and repair more than 200 homes across Santa Barbara’s south county. Habitat Santa Barbara operates a ReStore, the nonprofit home improvement store that sells new and gently used items at a fraction of the retail price. All retail sales benefit the mission of Habitat Santa Barbara. For more information, please visit www.sbhabitat.org or contact us at (805) 692-2226 or mail@sbhabitat.org.
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