Habitat For Humanity of South Sarasota County’s ReStore is an important part of the nonprofit’s fundraising mission. A secondhand store stocked by donations and staffed by volunteers, ReStore offers quality furniture, clothing, tools, appliances and more. Shannon Hoyt, Habitat’s Executive Director, says, “The profits from the ReStore help build houses. We get a lot of tools, building materials and clothing, which is unique to our store. Our tagline is ‘Shop, Donate, Volunteer.’ We’re always looking for new volunteers and donations!”
“I love the ReStore and have a great team here,” says ReStore Director Denise Royer, who manages the store’s staff and volunteers. “We get new stuff in constantly and have shoppers who come in everyday to look through it. The guys come in looking for new tools and the women come in for clothes because we have such a nice collection of clothing. We see these folks so often, they are like family. We have a lot of fun here!”
Habitat For Humanity Of South Sarasota County has built 143 houses to date, with six more currently under construction in Venice and North Port, according to Shannon. Nationally, Habitat For Humanity operates almost 900 ReStores in 49 states, each one unique to its community. ReStores not only support the Habitat For Humanity mission, but provide volunteering opportunities, and even offer free donation pickup. Check the Habitat For Humanity website for items the Venice ReStore accepts.
Venice ReStore. 941.493.0529. 1400 Ogden Road. Habitatsouthsarasota.org