Thursday, April 25, 2013

Old doors can be fun too!

By Catie Hoffman, ReStore Volunteer 


One of the great things about volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore is that it has made me see just how many “old” or ”broken” or “used” household things can be repurposed into something “new” or “fun.”

If you have ever come to the ReStore, right as you walk in, to the left we have our bulletin boards that was created out of old drawers. You can easily turn old drawers into a fun project for kids or even just for you. First start off my picking which drawers you would like to use. Maybe you have some old drawers from an old dresser or cabinets at home, but if you don’t, we do have a large selection for you to choose from at the ReStore to create a fun shelf/bulletin board. Next, pick what color you want your project to be and paint or stain the drawers however you would like. Blue and green are the ReStore colors so we went with those but you can always choose a more natural or rustic look and sand and stain them. After painting or staining them you are pretty much done. If you want it to be a bulletin board you can take pieces of cork board and glue then to the inside of the drawer. Finally, just choose where you would like to set or hang your new shelves or bulletin board. Ta-da you just turned an old drawer into a beautiful, and fun, hanging shelf and/or bulletin board! 

Drawers at the ReStore! 


The ReStore always has tons of donated doors and paint. So my sister and I came up with the idea to make a game table out of one of the used doors here. First you have to choose what color you want to do your game table. Now if you are overachievers, like my sister and I, you could also chose a theme. We chose Batman Forever because that is her husband’s favorite movie. Now based on what you decide you want your game table to be used to play will determine the rest. You could cut some holes in it and use it as a bean-sack throw and use it at a school or church carnival. You could turn it into a smaller ping pong table depending on the shape or size of the door. There are so many different options. We used our door to make a ping pong table & bowling table. First we taped off a triangle on either end of the table and painted the middle black. One side got painted green and the other got painted silver. After all of that paint dried, on the green side we painted the Batman symbol and on the silver side we painted the Riddler’s symbol. In the middle we painted a giant Batman/Riddler symbol. Once the paint was dry we used a clear coat lacquer to seal the paint on the door. Finally, we used old collapsible legs from an old picnic table and screwed them on the back of the door. Now our table hangs in the garage as a decoration when it is not being used and when we do want to use it we take it of its hooks pull out the legs and it’s time to play! 

Door before! 



Door after! 





Thursday, April 18, 2013

Journey of Hope Gala - Building Hope for American Heroes


By Heidi Lai

Perhaps one of the most saddening aspects of this world today is the fact that there are many veterans unable to find a home. Instead, they are “crashing on relatives’ couches”, as Khoz Jivanjee will tell you. “A lot of veterans come back and they have some financial difficulties or hardships,” Khoz explains. That is why Habitat for Humanity held the Journey of Hope Gala on Friday, March 22, in the University Hall at the University of Redlands. “We really want to help this demographic.” Khoz was the event coordinator, and a previous volunteer and member of the Resource Development Committee for Habitat for Humanity.
           
The Gala was held to raise money for our veterans, so that their living situations could be improved. Although, this was only the second time the Journey of Hope Gala took place, it was a big hit amongst event guests. A total of 170 people attended this year’s Gala.

The night was spent in style. There was delicious food—provided by Bon Appetit—that included an elaborate, three-course meal, with the addition of a Hors d-oeuvre Station. The appetizers ranged from a triple layer crostini with hummus, olive tapenade, and tomato basil bruschetta; a breadbasket filled with orange walnut muffins, bacon cheddar biscuits, and ciabatta rolls; a salad with balsamic vinaigrette and honey poppyseed dressing; to avocado egg rolls with Thai dipping sauce and Asian slaw. As for the entrees, the food was nothing less than spectacular. The main dishes included a chicken francaise with mashed potatoes and vegetables, and a roasted spinach and Portobello mushroom stuffed with basil pesto.  As for dessert, the delicious maple walnut cake did not disappoint. Besides all these mouth-watering dishes, there was also a full bar for the attendees’ enjoyment.
           
Asides from the delicious food, events of the night included a silent auction which was popular amongst all the evenings’ guests. The event was MC’d by Mayor of San Bernardino, Pat Morris; evening speakers included: San Bernardino County 5th District Supervisor Josie Gonzales who delivered the Keynote speech; followed by Health Care for Homeless Veterans Coordinator, Melissa Conrad of the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System. Lastly, Dennis Baxter, Rhea Stumm, and Maritza Solis presented on behalf of Habitat for Humanity. Furthermore, Habitat volunteers Sara L. Long and Richard Ramirez were awarded at the Gala for their dedication and service to Habitat for Humanity, and the volunteer groups Starshine Treatment Center and Inland Empire Job Corps Center also received recognition. Live music was provided by Over Easy, a group made up of University of Redlands graduates.

This event was a great success and would not have been possible without our attendees and most of all, our event sponsors—Dr. Deborah Rada, Bank of America, and Citizens Business Bank. If you missed the Gala this year, come on out next year to join in on all the fun!

Check out the photos below! All photos provided by Tim G. Dull.




Photo by Tim G. Dull


Photo by Tim G. Dull


Photo by Tim G. Dull


Photo by Tim G. Dull


Photo by Tim G. Dull


Photo by Tim G. Dull


Photo by Tim G. Dull


Photo by Tim G. Dull
            

Photo by Tim G. Dull

Saturday, March 2, 2013

How to Choose a Contractor


By Matt Le Vesque

First, make sure the contractor has a license. Why? Because if he does, he will also have a license bond. That means that if you end up in a dispute, you will have a chance to collect on the bond (up to $12,500) if the contractor flakes out. Also, generally, it means the contractor presumably knows enough to pass a licensing test.

Second, do some homework on the contractor. Go online to see if the license matches his story. "Contractors" have been known to use other people's licenses or maybe "forget" to mention that they have a long list of consumer complaints.
I can't begin to tell you all the horror stories I've heard or written reports about.

Third, check some references. Naturally, if you ask anyone for a reference they aren't going to have you call their worst customer, right? So, go beyond calling the friends and relatives of the person you're planning to let into your house.
Ask contractors what they've been working on the last several months and call those people. Recent past is much more predictive of the near future, right?

Fourth, get it in writing. A home improvement contract is a very detailed document that should be several to dozens of pages. There should be a complete description of the work and lots of details. If there are plans, they should be professionally prepared and approved by the local building department. And no licensed contractor should tell you that permits are not required. They should be able to prove they're not required.

Fifth, don't hear what you want to hear. This goes hand-in-hand with number four. Someone may appeal to your more frugal side (cheapness) by telling you that you can save money by not getting plans, permits or inspections. As far as I'm concerned, that's akin to selling or receiving stolen property. If you want a "deal" like that, be prepared to pay the consequences. Chances are very good that you're being conned.

That leads to number six, which is all about money. I wouldn't go with the cheapest bid. There's usually a reason they're cheap and I also suggest being careful about keeping work in line with payments. I don't recommend giving down payments and will only make a payment when a major milestone or inspection is complete. Basically, if it doesn't seem right, ask more questions.

Number seven is the most important item: Communicate. Have an open and honest, business-oriented communication. You're not pals or buddies. You're not a shoulder to cry on and neither is the contractor. Keep it professional and you will generally get professional results. If you get to be friends after the job, that's great too.


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Volunteer with Habitat!


By Heidi Lai


Nowadays, it can be hard to find an organization worthy of your time and effort. After all, in a lot of organizations, you don’t see direct results in the things you care about. And more importantly, you don’t see direct results in your COMMUNITY. But you’ll find that Habitat for Humanity is different, in that all your time and energy will be well spent. If you volunteer for Habitat, you’ll be helping out the people in need in your local community, and making your very own community a better place. “Everybody comes to volunteer for a different reason. Some people are trying to make friends, some people are trying to learn a skill, some people are trying to get to know the area,” Maritza Solis, the volunteer coordinator at Habitat, says. “But volunteering gives you a sense of fulfillment. When you help other people and you see that it's making a difference in your community…it just brings a smile to your face.”
         
Lee Peterson, who was been a volunteer for Habitat since October of last year, completely agrees. “It’s rewarding, fun, and it feels good at the end of the day,” he says. Truly, the benefits of working at Habitat are endless. First of all, having a good and enjoyable time is guaranteed, because you have a whole number of options to choose from when volunteering. All you have to do is pick what suits you! For example, Lee’s already done almost everything one could possibly do at Habitat. He’s worked in the ReStore, been apart of the marketing committee, and also worked on site, helping out with constructing the houses. Besides those options, you can also choose working in the office. You see, you have plenty of options as a volunteer as to what you want to do, and each has its own unique perks.
         
1. Volunteering at the ReStore:
“Working in the ReStore is really nice; it’s really laidback. Everyone's working to do a good job and keep the place clean and help out the customers,” Lee says. Working in the ReStore is just like working in a store. It includes stocking, cleaning, sorting items, and helping out the customers, according to Solis. If you’re a people person and would love to interact with others on a daily basis, working at the ReStore would be the perfect choice for you. You only need to be 14 or older to volunteer.




2. Volunteering at the Office:
Are you interested in future receptionist-like careers? Perhaps volunteering at the office would be the right thing to do. Volunteering involves typing, filing, and answering calls, in a nice, quiet office atmosphere.




3. Committees:
The volunteers run committees online. There are separate committees for specialized purposes. For example, there’s a committee for marketing, a committee for family selection, and a committee for construction. Committees are a perfect way to meet new people and take leadership roles.



4. Volunteering On Site:
“At the build, you get to meet the family you're directly helping, you get to see the before and after, and you can see all the improvements made,” Lee says. And he’s absolutely right. Working on site is as “direct” as you can get to helping out your community via Habitat for Humanity. Here, you literally help build the house of a family in need. This may include painting, framing, etc. No experience is necessary. "Even if your skills are limited, or you have no construction experience, you don't need any because we have a construction director that will guide you through it,” Solis says. In fact, she has first-hand experience with construction. She actually joined Habitat as a construction volunteer! “I actually wanted to learn more about construction because I had no real experience,” she says.





So you see? You have many, many options to choose from, when it comes to volunteering for Habitat. And the best part is, you will feel absolutely great after volunteering. Maritza still remembers her very first Habitat volunteer experience: “At the end of the day, when I met the home owners, the first home owners I met, they were just so…thankful. And it just makes you feel really good that you're helping someone. They were just so filled with joy. I felt like I had accomplished something.” And Lee has only positive things to say as well: “Anyone I run into, I mention Habitat because it's just a good environment. All the people you work with are really nice and really driven to help others. It's a super fun place and a great place to spend some time and help other people out,” Lee says. These two people are only two examples out of many, many more. But every person counts, and Maritza is very aware of that fact. “Volunteers are the foundation of our organization. Without them, we wouldn't be able to do half of what we do,” she says passionately. So the question is, how do you volunteer? It’s super simple and super easy.

HERE’S HOW:
1. Call the Habitat for Humanity office at 909-478-1176 or go into the office. All you need to do is fill out a little bit of paperwork, and you’re good to go!
           OR
2. Go onto the Habitat for Humanity website: http://habitatsb.org/. Click on the “Volunteer” tab, then the “Volunteer Up” option to sign up!

So will you open up your mind and arms to the endless benefits of volunteering at Habitat for Humanity? Will you be our next volunteer? You’re only one click, or one phone call away from influencing your local community and improving the lives of the people around you.


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Free E-Waste Recycling Event


Drop off all your E-Waste at the Habitat ReStore!
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013
10am – 3pm
25948 Business Center Dr. Redlands, CA 92374
Habitat for Humanity will be teaming up with All Green Electronics Recycling to host an electronic recycling event on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013 from 10am-3pm. The event is free and open to the public and anyone who is interested in disposing their E-waste in a safe and secure environment.
What is E-waste? That dated laptop in your hall closet, that VCR you haven’t used since you got the new DVD player, the dust-covered monitor in your garage, or basically anything with a plug that is unused, obsolete or non-working.
Drop off computers, monitors, printers, TVs, VCRs, stereos, and other electronic equipment–anything with a plug and circuit board will be accepted. All Green will properly recycle the items and proceeds will go back to Habitat for Humanity!
E-waste contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, mercury and zinc that contaminate our soil and water, and is responsible for 70 percent of all heavy metals found in landfills today. A recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency says E-waste in landfills will grow four-fold over the next five years.


Friday, December 28, 2012

Make an end of the year donation today. Together, we can build more homes!


Help us eliminate poverty housing today. Your gift will help make a difference for a family in your community. Please make your tax-deductible gift by December 31, 2012. 
Rogers Ln 2

There are hundreds of families looking for a decent place to live in the San Bernardino area. Please give your gift today to help these families find a safe and affordable home that will change their lives and the lives of their children.

Day-by-day, month-by-month, year-by-year, Habitat for Humanity is working to eliminate poverty housing in our neighborhoods and all over the world. Your support to Habitat for Humanity does much more than help families escape from unsafe, unhealthy living conditions. A Habitat house breaks the cycle of poverty and builds long-term financial security for low-income families who work to help themselves.

Thank you for your consideration. Together we will enrich the lives of many low-income families by making the possibility of homeownership a reality.




Together, we can build more homes! Thank you! 



Thursday, December 20, 2012

Gifts That Give Back!


Looking for the perfect gift this Holiday season? Give a ReStore Gift Certificate!

You can't go wrong with a gift certificate! ReStore gift certificates are available in many values, from $5.00 and up! For more information, call the ReStore at 909-799-6738. Or ask a ReStore cashier for more info the next time you are in the store. 

Your gift will help Habitat for Humanity build new homes, improving the quality of life for one family, such as the Miller family of Grand Terrace. Read more about the future Habitat for Humanity families. Click here!