In 1991, five Canadian volunteers opened Habitat for Humanity's first-ever ReStore in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their vision was clear: keep new and used home and building materials out of the waste stream while helping fund Habitat's work. Customers flocked to the store to find deals on windows, doors, paint, hardware, tools, furniture, appliances and decor to spruce up their own homes while helping others build and secure theirs. Based on this reception, the concept quickly spread.
A year after the first store opened in Canada, Habitat for Humanity in Texas brought the ReStore to the U.S. by opening its first store in Austin in 1992. As of 2021, there are more than 1,000 ReStore locations across six countries (110 in Canada), all contributing to Habitat's vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Through the ReStore model, Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario can fund the operations of the organization so that the funding and grants received from individuals and foundations can go directly to building affordable housing across the six counties that we serve: Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Perth, Brant, or Norfolk County.
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