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