Habitat For Humanity ReStores
Social/Environmental benefit
Habitat Canada has helped over 1,400 families move into affordable homes. ReStores works as a triple-bottom line entity, providing financial and social benefits, but also helping with the environment by re-channeling, good usable materials into use, rather than into a local landfill.
Profile
Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 in Georgia. The now world-wide program is based on “partnership housing” where those in need of adequate shelter work side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses. In 1985, the first Canadian affiliate was formed. Today, there are more than 70 affiliates operating in 10 provinces and two territories. Habitat Canada has helped more than 1,400 families move into affordable new homes.
Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat’s key resources are volunteer labour, efficient program management and donations of money and materials. Habitat sells houses to partner families at no profit and finances the homes with affordable, no-interest mortgages. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund, which is used to build more houses. In addition to mortgage payments, each homeowner invests hundreds of hours of their own labour, called “sweat equity”, into the building of their house and the houses of others.
Habitat ReStores sell quality, used and new surplus building materials at a fraction of normal prices. There are 56 ReStores in Canada and over 30 operating in Ontario. Proceeds from the ReStores fund the work of Habitat affiliates within the local community. In many cases, volunteer staffing at the outlets keeps the costs of operating this social enterprise low.
Building supply stores, contractors, manufacturers, demolition crews or individuals donate materials to Habitat ReStores. Supplies vary by store and by day, since they receive new items frequently. Normally, you will find windows, doors, paint, hardware, lumber, tools, lighting fixtures and even the kitchen sink among many other finds. Habitat ReStore trucks and volunteers will pick up items free of charge.
The ReStores generate a positive financial and social outcome for Habitat for Humanity, but are also a triple-bottom line venture. They help the environment by re-channeling, good usable materials into use, rather than into a local landfill.
In addition to the benefits associated with the products it sells, Grassroots remains committed to full environmental accountability for its entire business. Some of its initiatives include:
On the last Friday of each month, Grassroots donates 10% of net sales to local or national environmental organizations.
Both Grassroots stores are powered with 100% green electricity provided by Bullfrog Power (another Ontario-based social-purpose business – learn more at www.bullfrogpower.com) who exclusively source from wind and low-impact water power producers.
Grassroots provides carbon neutral shipping to customers who purchase on-line, offsetting carbon emissions for all their deliveries through Zerofootprint.
Grassroots reuses shipping materials from supplier packing materials or uses other recyclable goods.
Grassroots organizes dozens of unique in-store workshops every year that focus on issues of environmental sustainability.
Grassroots was ahead of the times when it set up its first store in Toronto. Over the last decade they have demonstrated an ability to remain fully committed to their environmental mission, yet also compete with other traditional retailers for consumer sales, expand their location and become a successful e-tailer. Grassroots are currently working on a plan that, assuming sufficient and appropriate financing can be raised, will significantly expand their business in Ontario and across Canada, with several new storefront locations.
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