Many Johnson County residents are familiar with Habitat for Humanity and its goal of creating affordable housing for people in need. And many residents have heard of or visited the Habitat ReStores on the Missouri side of the metro.

But it's news to many that Heartland Habitat for Humanity has a new ReStore, right here in Johnson County. And whether you interact with the shop as a donator of goods, a buyer, or a laborer, you'll want to know about it for loads of reasons. The best person to explain those reasons is Kate Fields, the energetic and upbeat director of resource development for Heartland Habitat.

The Heartland Habitat ReStore, which opened in January in Overland Park, is a public retail outlet that sells new and used surplus building materials and appliances priced at 20 to 80 percent below retail, Fields explained. All items sold in the store are donated to the store, including fixtures, furniture, appliances, and construction materials. Donations come from individuals and from businesses and contractors. The money raised through purchases helps fund the construction of Heartland Habitat homes.

The ReStore is a wonderful place to purchase, at affordable prices, the materials you need for personal tasks, while having a positive influence on Heartland Habitat and the local environment. And the ReStore is open to everyone. It's a "thrift store" of sorts, with absolutely no income restrictions on shoppers. All are welcome.

Here's how you can become part of Heartland Habitat for Humanity:

Shop!
So you want to spiff up that guest bathroom but don't want to spend $32 for a gallon of paint. How does $5 a gallon sound? That's what you'll pay for paint, and prices for other goods are equally low. That's why the Habitat ReStore draws do-it-yourself homeowners and many others, as well.

"ReStore shoppers include all sorts of people, including small landlords and artists looking for mixed media like old doors and cabinet pulls," Fields said.

Heartland Habitat ReStore is a treasure trove. When you walk into the large, warehouse-like facility, you'll first notice the lime-green and royal-blue walls (official Heartland Habitat for Humanity colors), the friendly greeting you get from the staff, and the endless rows of merchandise.

On any given day you might find a real prize: a glistening mirror, a custom-made redwood wine rack, a nearly new futon, a bright stained-glass window. But you'll always find the basics: screw drivers, light fixtures, sinks, raw lumber, door hinges, bolts. You're guaranteed an interesting and amusing time while you browse.

Donate!
The ReStore welcomes your new and used building materials, hardware, fixtures, appliances, and furniture. Older adults who are downsizing or moving into a retirement community or assisted living often wonder what to do with their excess furnishings, or with items stored for years in attics, basements, and garages. Yard sales are one answer, but the ReStore may be a better and easier answer—especially since ReStore staff will drive a truck right to your door and load up for you.

Your donation may be tax-deductible, and all profits from ReStore go to Heartland Habitat building projects in Johnson, Wyandotte, and Leavenworth counties in Kansas, and Clay and Platte counties in Missouri.

Heartland Habitat ReStore is especially looking for wood and lumber, new and gently used carpeting, tile, appliances in working condition, and furniture.

To schedule a donation pick-up, call 913-648-6001. Ask for a receipt so you can claim your donations on your tax forms.

Monetary contributions are also welcome, and you may restrict them (for example, you might write a check and state that you'd like your contribution to be used for supporting Johnson County projects).

One of Heartland Habitat's goals is to foster "greenness," Fields said. "We provide a way for people to keep their possessions out of the landfills, and that's so important. The ReStore helps keep the community green by rechanneling and reusing quality, functional materials instead of adding them to landfills—to the tune of more than 2,000 tons annually. So we tell everyone, donate to us—but if not to us, donate somewhere!"

Volunteer!
"Our goal is to engage people," Fields said. "We want to engage with people who might have some extra time on their hands and who want to give back to their community."

Heartland Habitat for Humanity is always looking for volunteers, and the people who share their time and labor are deeply appreciated. They quickly become part of the Heartland Habitat community, making connections with like-minded people who are generous and warm and who enjoy working with others.

"We rely on the labor of volunteers," said Fields. "Experience isn't what's most important. We need people who like people."

Volunteer opportunities include construction, site supervision, office assistance, cooking for the "lunch angels" who feed hungry workers, committee membership, and lots of positions within the ReStore—everything from sorting to running the cash registers to directing shoppers. No experience is required. Even if you volunteer at a construction site, crew leaders are there to provide training and oversight. And volunteers get to choose when they work and tailor their schedules to their lives.

To volunteer with ReStore, sign up online at www.heartlandhabitat.org/volunteer or contact Vanessa Little: call 913-342-3047 or e-mail vanessa@heartlandhabitat.org.

A Habitat primer
The proceeds from Heartland Habitat Restore go directly to Heartland Habitat projects locally. But the local organization is part of something much larger—Habitat for Humanity International, which will celebrate its 36th birthday next year.

Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. The organization has built and renovated more than 200,000 houses worldwide since 1976.

Habitat builds simple, decent, affordable homes and communities for people in need. On a national scale, the organization exists to:

• eliminate poverty and substandard housing worldwide;
  
• build or renovate houses in partnership with families who qualify for home-ownership based on three criteria: need, a willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity, and ability to repay a no-interest mortgage;
  
• work with people of all faiths and people of no faith; and
  
• sell houses at no profit, with no interest charged.

Habitat is a worldwide, grassroots movement. More than 2,100 affiliates are active in 100 countries, all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Habitat for Humanity International is headquartered in Americus, Ga.

Heartland Habitat homes are sold to "partner families" at no profit through no-interest loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are recycled into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.

"Some people think we give houses away," Fields noted. "But what we do is to help people purchase a home with a no-interest, no-down-payment loan. And the families are deeply involved. They and their supporters must put in 300 hours of sweat equity (helping build their, and others', homes) and attend 50 hours of homeowner education classes."

The homes are simple three-bedroom buildings with a basement, a one-car attached garage, and always a front porch, because "porches play such an important role in creating community," Fields said.

When the homes are completed, deeply personal rituals bring closure.

"There's usually a house blessing presided over by clergy, and then a celebration at which lots of stories are exchanged," Fields said.

Since 1987, Heartland Habitat has built more than 225 homes, but construction in Johnson County is relatively new.

"About four years ago, people started asking whether we were doing any building in Johnson County," Fields said. "We were not, but we quickly began."

The first Johnson County project was on South Emma Street, in Olathe. A second home is under construction on East Park Street, also in Olathe.

Johnson County Government doesn't yet have a formal Heartland Habitat for Humanity process, like the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, which has established a land bank that sets aside land parcels for Heartland Habitat homes.

Another Heartland Habitat program is the new Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, which supports basic exterior repair work in collaboration with city codes enforcers. Such initiatives are under way in Roeland Park and Mission.

To be eligible for a Heartland Habitat for Humanity home, families must earn no more than 30 to 60 percent of median income or be in jeopardy because of a catastrophic illness. For repair work, the focus audience is older adults living on a fixed income.

So consider shopping, donating, or volunteering today!

Johnson County Heartland Habitat ReStore
9850 W. 87th St.
Overland Park, KS 66212
Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays
913-648-6001
www.HeartlandHabitat.org

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