Riverside ReStore's Blog

Now Hiring at the Riverside ReStore

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Warehouse & Driver's Assistant Wanted

The Riverside ReStore is a sustainable fundraising program of Habitat for Humanity Riverside. We are a store that is open to the general public. We operate with a paid and volunteer staff. We currently have one part-time staff position open.

Warehouse/Driver’s Assistant
Primary duties involve the processing of donations in a productive manner in partnership with other ReStore team members and volunteers. Processing donations includes organizing, cleaning, pricing and assembly of new and used materials.
Strength requirement: Heavy – exerts up to 100lbs of force occasionally, and /or up to 50lbs of force frequently, and/or up to 20lbs of force constantly to move objects. (Regularly)
Very Heavy – exerts in excess of 100lbs of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50lbs of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20lbs of force constantly to move objects. (Often)

Scheduling Availability - must be available for up to 28 hours per week between the hours of 8:30 and 6:15. Shifts of 4 to 7 hours per day.

Application process open until position is filled. Applications available in store or via email request
Request/Return Application to: info@riversiderestore.org with the subject line Warehouse & Driver's assistant team member position

Keep Cool!

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 19:30:26 GMT

Protect Your Health When It’s Hot!

With temperatures the next few days expected to be between 100-113 degrees in our area, The Community Action Partnership of Riverside County wants to remind everyone that extreme heat can be devastating for vulnerable individuals, seniors, the disabled, and many others.

Click on the link below for a list of Cool Centers located in Riverside County as well as some tips on how to stay cool!

https://www.capriverside.org/Portals/0/PDF/Cool/2018%20Cool%20Center_Directory.pdf

Home is the Key

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 14:31:10 GMT

Help unlock a family’s future today

Habitat for Humanity’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to call home. We know decent, affordable housing can create transformational change for individuals, families and communities. But in our own backyards here in the U.S., decent and affordable housing is unreachable for far too many families. In April, Habitat is working to spread the word about decent and affordable shelter and what we are doing at the local level to help families gain strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.

This month, sharing your support of Habitat for Humanity Riverside will have greater impact because of brand awareness movement being sponsored at the national level. It is our goal to increase community awareness both at home and throughout the nation.

You can join the movement by sharing our social media posts using the hashtag #HomeIsTheKey . Also, you can go shopping at your neighborhood ReStore and when you’re there purchase a key adding a tax deductible donation to your purchase (donate online Here ). Through these actions you will be helping to unlock the future of families in your community and around the world. You will be part of our efforts to help families eliminate the barriers they face to opportunity, success, stability and health by assuring everyone has a decent place to call home.

You can join the effort and be part of a key moment in a family’s future one of three ways .

3 Easy Ways to Support #HomeIsTheKey

Shop

100% of our proceeds help build strength, stability, self-reliance, and shelter in Corona, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Norco, and Riverside.

Donate

Purchase a key at the front register to donate to #HomeIsTheKey and support safe, decent, and affordable home ownership opportunities locally. Donate online Here

Share

Thanks to Nissan, each time #HomeIsTheKey is shared during the month of April, $1 will be donated to Habitat for Humanity International, up to $250,000!

Tell a Friend!

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 16:28:39 GMT

Tell a friend about the Riverside Restore and earn ReStore Bucks or a 50% off Storewide Sale Day!

Help us increase the buzz about the Riverside ReStore for your chance to earn ReStore Bucks or a 50% off Storewide Sale Day!

2 Ways to Participate:

1. Earn $5 ReStore Bucks for every friend referral.

Make a purchase until March 29th, 2018 and receive a special “Tell a Friend” 25% off coupon for you to give to a friend! For each coupon returned with your name on it, we will send you a certificate for $5 ReStore Bucks!

To participate, you need to completely fill out a Tell a Friend Participation Form so that we know where to send the ReStore Bucks. Coupons will need to have the name of the participant, matching the information sheet, for the referral to count. Coupon not valid for participant use. 25% off coupon is valid for 25% off any one regularly priced item and is not valid if used with any other coupon or total purchase discount.

2. Earn a 50% off Storewide Sale Day by helping us grow on Facebook.

Help us reach 6,000 Facebook followers by March 29th, 2018 to activate a 50% off Storewide Sale!

How?

Work together and invite any friends who may be interested in the Riverside Restore to like the page!

To invite your friends:
On the top of our Facebook page under the cover photo, click on the “…” and find "Invite Friends". Then select any of your Facebook friends who would be interested in shopping, donating, or volunteering at the Riverside ReStore to like the page!

Click here to visit our Facebook page!

Every invite on Facebook and friend referral helps Habitat for Humanity Riverside build and preserve more homes in our local communities!

Valid at the Riverside, Habitat for Humanity ReStore only.

By filling out the Tell a Friend Information Sheet, you agree to the guidelines of the promotion. Promotion subject to end at any time. 25% off Tell a Friend Coupon expires on June 30th, 2018. $5 ReStore bucks will be mailed out once a month and will have an expiration date. 50% off Storewide Sale will not activate automatically. It may be one to two weeks after the 6,000 followers are reached. To know when the sale is, join our email list: http://eepurl.com/bOmonD

Introducing Customer Loyalty Cards

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 23:08:34 GMT

Starting in January 2018, the Riverside ReStore will be offering Customer Loyalty Cards, giving you the opportunity to earn ReStore Bucks! Fill a home for every purchase of $50 or more. Collect all 10 homes and earn $50 in ReStore Bucks!

In addition to filling homes with purchases, we are offering two additional opportunities to earn 'stamps' in January only:

Sign up in store to receive Treasure Hunter text messaging and receive exclusive coupons and flash sale announcements before the general public!
Drop off a donation valued at $50 or more to the Riverside ReStore!

Pick up your Customer Loyalty Card and start earning stamps today!

For more information, visit www.RiversideReStore.org/Loyalty

$.99 LED Bulbs Courtesy of Riverside Public Utilitiess Instant Rebate Program!

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to the Riverside Public Utilities Instant Rebate Program, all of our LED Household Bulbs are only $.99!

Lighting your home or business with bulbs that feature light emitting diodes – also called LEDs – can help reduce your energy costs over time. For a limited time, Riverside Public Utilities will give its customers an instant in-store rebate when they purchase LED bulbs at the Riverside ReStore.

Here’s how it works:

RPU electric customers may visit a participating location and look for the RPU logo on any one of three LED bulbs offered through this program that are listed below. LED bulb offerings at participating stores may vary.
Purchase your bulbs (limit 16) at the register and receive an instant rebate.

Cannot be combined with any other offer. For details, visit http://www.greenriverside.com/led

A Home For All Seasons

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

A campaign to promote awareness, giving, and partnerships to help families in our communities achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves.

Through December 31st, Habitat for Humanity Riverside will be promoting A Home for All Seasons , a giving campaign to support the building and preserving of safe and affordable homes for families in our communities!

Habitat for Humanity Riverside recently broke ground on a 26 home, all veteran community in Jurupa Valley . Support this, and our other local projects by adding a $1 donation to your next ReStore purchase by pledging to a month $5 gift online .

For information, visit www.HabitatRiverside.org/AHomeForAllSeasons

What will you find at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore?

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Habitat for Humanity ReStore sells items that have been donated by local residents, professional remodelers, building supply firms, retailers, manufacturers, and home builders.

At our store, you’ll find discount high-end furniture, used furniture, building materials, home décor, and other unique items for any home improvement project! Our goal is to create a sustainable income stream for Habitat for Humanity Riverside while making a positive environmental impact by diverting these otherwise useful items from the landfill.

Items may include:

High End, Luxury Furniture & Decor
Gently Used Furniture
Used Home Goods and Decor
Plumbing
Cabinets and Cabinet Parts
Doors & Windows
Flooring
Recycled Paint
Hardware
Lighting Fixtures
Tools and more!

We’re proud to offer one of the region’s best selection of designer discount furniture and other one-of-a-kind merchandise!

Our ever changing selection of merchandise makes every visit to a Habitat for Humanity Restore a treasure hunt! When the items donated to the Riverside ReStore sell, the money helps local families achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better future. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer, homeowner, renter, landlord, contractor, interior designer, environmentalist, or treasure hunter, make the Habitat for Humanity ReStore your first stop when shopping for your next home improvement, renovation, or DIY project!

Click here to learn more about shopping at the Riverside ReStore!
Click here to learn more about donating at the Riverside ReStore!

Recycled Paint- Environmental Impact and More!

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The Riverside ReStore is now a proud carrier of Amazon Recycled Paint.

Why recycled paint?

Amazon Select Paints are manufactured from quality, surplus paint that Amazon collects from government, businesses, and consumers. By replacing new paint with recycled paint, resources that would have been used in making the new paint, including the energy used to make and transport the paint and minerals, chemicals, and pigments are saved.

Using recycled content paint, prevents paint material from ending up in a landfill or, worse, down a drain. Recycled paint saves resources, saves energy, reduces pollution, and reduces landfill waste!

Recycled Paint information from www.amazonpaint.com

Where to Purchase Paint
The Riverside ReStore recently started carrying Amazon Recycled Paint. Amazon paint may be used on interior or exterior surfaces, and can be brushed, rolled or sprayed. It applies easily and provides excellent coverage. Amazon paint is every bit as good as the more expensive, ‘virgin’ paint sold in the big box stores. Amazon Paints are premium quality, eco-friendly latex paints. Amazon’s paint reprocessing system ensures that every gallon sold meets strict specifications for color, gloss, viscosity and coverage. Amazon Select™ meets or exceeds the performance specifications of national paint brands.

How to Recycle Unused Paint
Find your closest paint recycling center at Earth911.com

Add Dimension to your Wall Decor by Repurposing Tables!

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

With a large empty wall space, adding a single piece of art or décor could still make the space feel incomplete. If you want to fill the space but do not want to make the wall feel cluttered, consider adding a repurposed table top backdrop, like this one purchaced at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Riverside! The geometric design of the table top adds a rustic yet modern style to this interior wall space while keeping the clock the focal point.

The muted color of the table top makes the clock pop, where as without the backdrop, the clock gets washed out into the white wall leaving the space feeling empty and incomplete. The table top backdrop adds instant dimension and style added without making the space look cluttered.

New and used table tops and tables can be found at your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore at a fraction of the retail price, with proceeds supporting safe and affordable homeownership opportunities in your local communities!

Table top backdrops offer lots of opportunities to be creative. We love the look of a large clock on the table, but this would also look great with a collage of frames, or behind a large piece of art! How would you style this table top backdrop?

Now Introducing Amazon Recycled Paint!

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 19:36:38 GMT

The Riverside ReStore is once again a proud carrier of Amazon Recycled Paint.

The Riverside ReStore recently started carrying Amazon Recycled Paint! Amazon paint may be used on interior or exterior surfaces, and can be brushed, rolled or sprayed. It applies easily and provides excellent coverage. Amazon paint is every bit as good as the more expensive, ‘virgin’ paint sold in the big box stores. Amazon Paints are premium quality, eco-friendly latex paints. Amazon’s paint reprocessing system ensures that every gallon sold meets strict specifications for color, gloss, viscosity and coverage. Amazon Select™ meets or exceeds the performance specifications of national paint brands.

Pricing

$14- 1 Gallon Primer (Whipped White Only)
$18- 1 Gallon Low Sheen (All Colors Available)
$19- 1 Gallon Semi-Gloss (Whipped White Only)
$50- 5 Gallon- Primer (Whipped White Only)
$72- 5 Gallon- Low Sheen (All Colors Available)
$75- 5 Gallon- Semi Gloss (Whipped White Only)

*Products are subject to availability. Feel free to contact us and verify quantity.

Visit www.riversiderestore.org/Amazon for information about purchasing recycled paint from the Riverside ReStore.

Visit www.amazonpaint.com for information about Amazon Paint.

How are items priced at the Riverside ReStore?

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 21:43:57 GMT

Good for the customer and the community.

We rely on donations from local residents and businesses to keep our store stocked with quality products. We typically price merchandise 30% to 90% off retail, plus we run sales discounting items an additional 10% to 75% off every week. Be the first to learn about our weekly sales by signing up for our Treasure Hunter’s Email.

Pricing example:

Made Goods, Dawn Mirror

The Dawn creates a new interpretation of the sun mirror! Antique brass rods wrap a central mirror and terminate with a slight flare. The Dawn Mirror from Made Goods is the perfect addition to any home.

Materials: Antique Brass, Mirrored Glass

Dimensions: 32” Diameter

Retails for $1,200, yours for only $500 at the Riverside ReStore!

Our ever changing selection of merchandise makes every visit to a Habitat for Humanity Restore a treasure hunt. When the items donated to the Riverside ReStore sell, the money helps local families achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better future. Our goal is to create a sustainable income stream for Habitat for Humanity Riverside, while making a positive environmental impact by diverting these otherwise useful items from the landfill.

What will you discover at the Riverside ReStore? Click here to visit our shop page.

Six college apartment and dorm room items you can find at Habitat ReStore

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 21:29:40 GMT

It’s back to school time! For those of you heading to college – or have kids doing so – it’s time to start stocking up on the items that can transform a dorm room or college apartment into a space that feels like a home.

Fortunately, your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore has just about everything you need for your back to school furniture and décor shopping, all at prices that won’t break the bank. Check out all the great things you should look for during your next trip to Habitat ReStore below, as well as some DIY decorating tips that are fun and easy to create with items you’ll find at many Habitat ReStores.

1. Furniture

Filling your living space with places to sit, sleep and eat is one of the biggest challenges – and expenses – of living away at college. Habitat ReStore is here to help.

Whether you need a sofa, kitchen table, bed, dresser or all of the above, you’ll find a slew of new and gently used furniture options at your local Habitat ReStore. Keep in mind that every store has a different inventory that changes daily based on donations from your community . Check back often to find exactly what you need.

2. Appliances

In addition to the obvious necessities like utensils, cups and plates, you also may need many other kitchen accessories like a blender, toaster oven and the all-important coffee maker (for late night study sessions). Though these items seem like relatively small purchases, they can add up quickly. Habitat ReStores often carry a variety of kitchen gadgets at great prices!

If you’re living in an apartment without laundry facilities, you may need a washer and dryer. While this would ordinarily represent a large expense, check to see if your Habitat ReStore has a gently used washing machine and dryer that will save you trips to the laundromat.

3. Lighting

Many dorms are equipped with fluorescent lighting, which can prove harsh on the eyes. Pick up a lamp or two from the Habitat ReStore to reduce this harshness and provide your dorm room with a warm glow.

4. Storage

Dorm rooms and college apartments aren’t typically known for providing an abundance of space. The wide variety of items available at Habitat ReStore give you a chance to creatively make great use of the space you do have available.

For examples and inspiration, check out this Buzzfeed article on hacks that will help you get more space out of a small closet. Materials used for the hacks you may find at Habitat ReStore (that you may not immediately think you need for your college dorm room) include pipes, scraps of wood, chains and hooks.

5. Art

Blank walls provide a great opportunity to turn a generic dorm room or apartment into a space that is uniquely yours. However, purchasing artwork can quickly become expensive. Most ReStores have a large variety of art at great prices. You can even turn some finds into projects to produce your own unique artwork.

For just one really cool idea of how you can transform an old painting into something new and unique, take a look at number six on this list of creative DIY ideas and decorating tips for dorms . In fact, you’ll probably want to look at all 25 tips on the list.

6. DIY projects

Speaking of creating your own projects, sometimes the best ways to furnish and decorate your new living quarters are by making something completely new.

The possibilities for this one are nearly endless. See this HGTV article featuring 40 DIY dorm room ideas for inspiration. These ideas use a wide variety of materials you may be able to find at Habitat ReStore, including room dividers, wooden crates, book ends, rope, trunks and brass fittings.

What items have you found at Habitat ReStores that made great additions to your apartment or dorm room? Let us know in the comments!

Repurposing Patio Cushions into Pet Beds

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Treating your furry friend to a new bed doesn’t have to break the bank!

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Riverside has a large selection of new patio cushions in stock. In addition to adding a new flare to your patio furniture, single cushions make great dog and cat beds!

Tested and approved, these will make great, inexpensive beds for your furry friends!

Pick one up at the Riverside ReStore today!

How to make a unique flower planter with Habitat ReStore materials

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

There are many great things about Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and one of them is how so many gently used materials available for sale can be used just as they are or transformed into something brand new!

For example, DIY expert Theresa Clement transformed a wooden box and a chair into a unique flower planter.

Though the chair and the box could have been bought and used today, Theresa saw that with a little creativity the items could be reused tomorrow in a completely new way. On a recent trip to the Smyrna Habitat ReStore near Atlanta, she documented her process in the following video.

All it takes it a few tools and some creativity to make a great and unique flower planter for your home. This is what the wooden box looked like when she first found it at the Habitat ReStore.

Theresa then selected the chair that would work best for the flower planter she had in mind.

These are the steps Theresa goes through in the video to combine and transform the chair and box.

1. Paint the chair and the box with spray paint. Remember to apply a light coat and keep the can moving.

2. After allowing the paint to dry, cut the back of the chair off of the seat. Theresa used an oscillating tool with a cutting blade for this task.

3. Line the inside of the box with duct tape. Since the box wasn’t made to hold soil, water or plant life, use duct tape to create a barrier.

4. Screw the back of the chair onto the box. While you are doing this, use a clamp to hold the back of the chair in place.

5. Fill your newly made planter with soil and add the plant of your choice!

“I made this little flower box in just a couple of hours,” Theresa said of the simple and quick project. “Now if you’re looking for inspiration for your home, or if you want to do a project like this, head down to your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.”

Make a tall planter box from pallet wood with these easy steps

info@habitatriverside.org (Habitat for Humanity Riverside ) — Mon, 01 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

I love working with pallet wood.

Each pallet board is unique in character, and has a mysterious story of travels and escapades that I’ll never know. It’s fun to think that the parts to this planter box could have been anywhere in the world and transported anything from tools to furniture to books and so much more.

So enough about my romance with pallets, let’s dig into the DIY of making this pallet planter box.

The Supplies

Pallet wood. Which you can often pick up at your local Habitat for Humanity ReStores!

Saw. A circular saw, miter saw, hand saw, table saw, or oscillating tool would all work. I used a cordless miter saw.

Drill or impact driver. I use a countersink to make a pilot hole before using fasteners when working with pallet wood. I also like to use Spax fasteners, as they are the easiest to sink in pallet wood.

Hand tools. The essential hand tools of a tape measure, pencil, multi-tool, pliers, hammer, and utility knife are part of a pallet DIY kit. The pliers, multi-tool, and utility knife are good to have for those pallet boards that have a rogue shape or nail sticking out from its previous life. Also, working solo on a project, it’s a good to have clamps nearby.

The How-To

For this project, I used parts of two pallets. To free pallet wood from a pallet, there are two ways that work really well. Either cross-cutting them along the supports with a circular saw or cutting the fasteners between the wood and the support with a reciprocating saw. A hand saw or an oscillating saw could free the wood, but it will take a bit longer. When working with saws, wear your safety glasses and closed-toe shoes.

Cross-cutting pallet wood along the supports with a circular saw is a fast way to free pallet wood for a project.

Cutting the fasteners between the wood and the support with a reciprocating saw provides longer stretches of wood, but it takes a bit more time than a circular saw.

After freeing the wood from the pallet, measure, mark, and cut the wood to length. This pallet planter is 40 inches tall, so I’m cutting two 40-inch long pieces to make each of the four corners for the box. If you have shorter lengths, you can add a block at the connection points to join the short pieces to make a 40-inch length.

After each piece is cut, fasten two 40-inch pieces to make a corner of the planter.

A clamp can be a huge helper when fastening wood at a 90 degree angle.

With pallet wood, there are unexpected nails that may be proud of the wood, so a nail set and hammer can help push the nails back into the wood.

After all four corner supports are constructed, start laying out the planter box. A square is a handy toolbelt tool that helps make sure the angles are exactly 90 degrees.

Then it is time to fasten the planter box pieces with two screws in each side.

After constructing one side, it’s time to put the planter project on a table to attach the other pieces.

Each side is screwed together in two places.

After the frame of the box is secure, the sides are filled in with more pallet wood. I like to hide fasteners on decorative projects, so I’m fastening the wood from the inside of the box.

The wood thicknesses of pallets can vary slightly, and screws are spot-on the same length. An easy trick to make sure you don’t pierce through the other side of wood is to angle the way the screw goes in.

For this project, I put in the bottom without attaching the pieces. This will make it easy to clean out the planter later. And if you are thinking that this might be perfect as a party drink station, the easy access to draining the bottom of the box will make party cleanup easier.

For pallet projects, I always recommend sealing the wood. A clear sealer will work fine, if you love the look of pallet wood. I chose to add a turquoise wash—mixing water with paint—to give this planter color without compromising the rustic charm.

I also used a gray wash for the other parts of the pallet planter.

The inside of the planter is ready for plants. And you may not be able to see in the photo, but I dusted some glitter spray paint over the entire planter. It’s a subtle way to have fun moments of shine and glamour on a farmhouse-style planter.

I purposefully chose pallet wood that has a bit of decomposition and age. I enjoy the shadows and textures that Mother Nature creates as wood ages. Now that it’s sealed, the aging process will greatly slow down.

Spring flowers inside the tall planter box also make me smile! I hope you enjoyed this project, and I wish you the best of luck with your next DIY project.

You can find more projects from Theresa at MyFixItUpLife.com , and you can get in touch with her on Twitter for any DIY questions you may have!