Cape’s Habitat for Humanity to Open ‘ReStore’

COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County community is invited to an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 18, when the county’s Habitat for Humanity opens its doors to the new ReStore, where, come later this spring, shoppers will be able to buy new and gently-used home improvement items below retail prices. 
The goal for the event: for the community to see the plans for the building, understand what it will sell, learn how Habitat for Humanity helps the county and get a sense of how much work is needed to prepare the building for its opening so volunteers can get enlisted to help.
The building, located at Court House Village, 20 Court House South Dennis Road, is close to Exit 10 off the Garden State Parkway, near Big Lots and TJ Maxx.
“There is so much work that needs to be done,” noted Executive Director Shawn Lockyear, Habitat for Humanity Cape May County, “that we want to show the community what our vision is and get them to help with everything from painting, cleaning, organizing and getting the building ready for our opening in early May.
“If we can build a house in four months with volunteers,” she added, “we should be able to get this store ready.” The targeted ReStore opening is May 6.
About 15,000 square feet, the store will provide a shopping experience like none other. “It will be part home improvement, part home goods, and part resale store,” Lockyear said. “Our goal is to always have new merchandise available, so the inventory is always changing. Our prices will be low as well.
“We want to make it a fun shopping experience,” she added, “so it will look pretty cool, too.”
With more than 800 ReStore shops open across the country, Habitat for Humanity nationwide has found that the revenue generated from the stores is its biggest source of income for the organization. Lockyear said Habitat Cape May has the “benefit of learning from all the other stores,” so they are looking at this store as a “dream come true.”
“Over the years, people have given us bath tubs, cabinets, furniture and other items that sometimes we are able to use for a Habitat family, but not always,” Lockyear said. “Now, we’ll be able to sell these items in our store and the money will continue to help our community.”
Habitat Cape May County has built eight homes over the past five years, in partnership with everyone from Middle Township, who donated some of the land, to contractors who donated or provided services inexpensively to the many volunteers who bring everything together for the chosen family.
“Habitat for Humanity has been a tireless advocate for equitable development in Middle Township for years, so I am thrilled to welcome the Habitat team’s new initiative in Cape May Court House,” said Mayor Michael Clark. “The Habitat for Humanity ReStore will provide low-cost home improvement and building materials to local residents and businesses while raising critical funding for its mission to provide housing to those in need.”
Volunteers have been working to clear the new space of “anything dangerous” in preparation for the open house.
“This has been a dream we’ve had for more than five years,” Lockyear said. “It takes a lot of money to build out a home. People have seen us grow over time and our goal is to be able to build three or four homes a year by using the revenue generated from the store in addition to other funding and services.”
Lockyear is excited about the prospects of the new store: she is thrilled that they were able to negotiate a lease with “good” terms with a landlord who understands and supports their business, and that the store is centrally located in the county with easy access.
“We’ve done a market analysis and business plan so we know how big our store should be, how many employees it should have and how many volunteers it will take to run,” Lockyear said. “We’ll have an area in the back for donation drop-offs. It’s also got good lighting and is in a safe area.”
The store will have eight staff positions in addition to multiple volunteer positions, according to Lockyear. Items sold will include everything from appliances, fixtures, vanities and sinks to windows, flooring, and lumber. “My plan is to work with the smaller thrift shops around the area so they know we’re not competing with them,” she noted. “We want them to know that if they get calls about these types of items, we’ll pick them up. If we get calls about smaller items, we’ll refer people to the smaller shops. There is plenty to go around.”
The ReStore business is driven by donations, which are welcome from individuals, companies, retailers and contractors. Over the next several months, drivers will be picking up donations free and storing them until the shop is ready. Lockyear said there is no ReStore currently in Atlantic or Cape May counties although Atlantic Habitat is making plans to open one. The closest ReStore now is in Vineland.
“This is the first time Habitat Cape May County will have a physical presence in the county in 25 years,” Lockyear said excitedly. “This is a real opportunity to create jobs and pump money back into the community for affordable housing. It’s a real opportunity for people who believe in the cause.
“We’re hoping people will come Feb. 18 and see what Habitat is all about,” she added. “We want the community to be involved and for them to feel that Habitat belongs to them.”
All donations are tax-deductible. Call 609-464-0244 to schedule a pickup, or visit habitatcapemay.org for further information regarding donation drop-off days and hours at the store itself. 
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.