We believe in giving people and things the opportunity to have a fresh start. Our Second Chance Program helps people learn new skills while making a difference in our environment.
Giving People a Second Chance
Housing Reentry
At Habitat for Humanity, we believe everyone deserves a decent place to live. Most people who exit incarceration or homelessness have nothing. They must rebuild their lives from the ground up. Habitat eases that transition by partnering with 50+ local nonprofit organizations to provide their clients with ReStore vouchers. The clients can select any needed items, including furniture, artwork, appliances, kitchenware, and other household items. We like to think of it as a big "welcome home" basket. Annually, we help more than 60 people reintegrate into stable housing.
Employment
The ReStore prides itself on providing employment opportunities to people who have otherwise struggled to succeed in the job market. We put people to work refurbishing more than 120 used appliances annually, helping people and reducing strain on our landfills. Our training program helps new hires learn to work in a fast-paced team environment. By giving people a chance to learn transferrable skills and demonstrate job longevity, they gain confidence and work history, fostering success in any job.
Community Service
Court-ordered community service gives people a second chance. The ReStore welcomes people who need to perform community service volunteer hours. Contact our
Habitat Cares
The ReStore aids people experiencing homelessness by donating over $500,000 in basic necessities to 26+ local nonprofits that operate street outreach programs along the Wasatch front. Several major retailers liquidate their inventory by donating it to the ReStore. We donate items like non-perishable food, socks, underwear, tents, tarps, coats, shoes, clothing, hygiene products, blankets, pet supplies, and camping supplies to our partner agencies, which include The Road Home, Fourth Street Clinic, and more. And, because the ReStore is near downtown Salt Lake City, it offers people a place of daytime respite from the freezing cold.
Giving Things a Second Chance
Refurbishing Appliances
Don't send your old washer and dryer to the landfill! Drop them at the Salt Lake ReStore. We refurbish all types of appliances, keeping thousands of tons of reusable material out of local landfills annually. We thoroughly test each appliance and provide a 30-day warranty.
Building Materials
Several partner contractors and vendors donate their excess material and inventory to the ReStore, giving these items a second chance at building, improving, or repairing homes. We are famous for our $20 toilets! The ReStore keeps thousands of tons of unwanted building materials out of our local landfills.
Free Book Exchange
The Salt Lake ReStore has an extensive free book library with novels, encyclopedias, cookbooks, children's books, and more. Customers may take up to five books per visit. Children are welcome to sit in the library while their parents shop. We see kids reading, drawing, and doing homework every day!