Good News Tues. – July 14th

We’re back with another edition of Good News Tues to spread a little joy from our Habitat family to yours. We’re all in this together. Here’s hoping this brings a little light to your day. 

Volunteering In A Pandemic: A Bold Act Of Compassion
With the need for safe, affordable housing more urgent than ever before, we at Milwaukee Habitat knew we must face the challenges of the pandemic head on. We had to adapt and meet the growing need, while doing so in a way that would be safe for our staff, volunteers, supporters and families we serve. 

Our three ReStores closed their doors in late March. As our single largest funding source, it was critical to figure out a way to reopen ReStores in order to sustain our work in the community. Many of us have the luxury of being “safer at home,” but for families struggling with housing-related illnesses, mounting rent, and over-crowded living situations this pandemic has only made things worse. Our staff was committed to getting back to work in order to help these families throughout this pandemic and beyond

ReStore Wauwatosa, followed by ReStore Walker’s Point, worked tirelessly to reopen with strict safety measures including a mandatory mask policy for all patrons as well as limited store capacity and curbside pickup. However, one thing was dearly missing…our volunteers.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Habitat for Humanity and after considerable safety precautions were instituted, we couldn’t be more excited to announce we’ve begun to welcome them back. Volunteers like Andy Kinnear have been among the first to rejoin our team in Wauwatosa. Watch Andy in action as he shares why it’s so important for him to give back at ReStore. (Note: this was recorded pre-COVID which is why no one is wearing a mask.)

Because of volunteers like Andy returning, staff from our other locations have been able to resume roles at their respective stores. We hope to reopen our third location, ReStore Greenfield, later this month. With these volunteers’ help, we’re raising much needed funds to serve local families who are dealing with an affordable housing crisis that’s been compounded by a pandemic overwhelmingly affecting the neighborhoods we serve.

These volunteers’ commitment to our community is selfless, brave, and admirable. In these unprecedented times, we’re emphatically grateful and humbled by the volunteers who’ve made the bold decision to return to service. At the same time, we stand behind all of our volunteers who remain at home and will gladly welcome them back when it’s safe for everyone involved. The fact of the matter is, until conditions improve, that may take some time. This concept of “safer at home” has only emboldened our vision: everyone deserves a decent place to live.