Everything Old is New Again

 
The opening of the Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity (CBHFH) ReStore in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is a win-win-win situation—surplus building materials are kept out of landfills; do-it-yourself types save big dollars on doors, windows, cabinets, and other supplies for home-improvement projects; and money is raised for the volunteer-driven CBHFH, which provides modest housing—twenty-one homes so far, since 1993— to deserving members of the community.

The spacious former warehouse off of West Housatonic Street stocks new and used building and home supplies, from lumber and tiles to fixtures, tools, and even non-upholstered furniture, all donated by retailers, contractors, and individuals so that it can be offered to the public at significant discounts. Also part of the ever-changing inventory: rows of doors, each one clearly marked with its measurements; shelves of sinks, faucets, pipes, and all manner of plumbing accouterments; and windows of every imaginable sort.

“The ReStore offers a green, socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials out of the waste stream,” says CBHFH executive director Carolyn Valli, “by giving people on limited budgets the [opportunity] to buy low-cost materials to improve their housing.” [MAY 2010]

THE GOODS

Central Berkshire Habitat
for Humanity ReStore
Fri & Sat 9-4
70 Jefferson Pl.
Pittsfield, Mass.
413.443.2106