www.newrivervalley.com

Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Volunteers Shelley Fortier (left) and Kay Kay Goette set up a shelving display in of Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Christiansburg.

Grand opening

• What: Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley ReStore
• When: Saturday, Feb. 10
• Where: 1550 Roanoke St., Christiansburg, in the old Memory Lane Antique Mall and Elements furniture store building near the intersection of Interstate 81 Exit 118 and the Christiansburg bypass.
• Why: All proceeds from sales at the store go to Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley. To donate used building materials and furniture, call 382-4848 or 392-2100. Pick-up available.
• Details: The store will be open Mondays through Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

New River Valley Habitat for Humanity

• Nonprofit group incorporated in 1986.
• First home built in Radford and dedicated April 17, 1987. Eight other homes built in the same vicinity between 16th and 17th streets. A subdivision of eight more houses is waiting to be constructed.
• Eight homes have been built in Pulaski. One is under construction and two more are getting ready to start.
• One home has been built in Fairlawn.
• Two homes have been built in Christiansburg.
• Four homes have been built in Blacksburg.
• An old church was converted to a home and another home built in Pearisburg.
• Habitat for Humanity serves families whose income is between 25 percent and 50 percent of the median. In 2006, the median annual income for a family of four in the New River Valley ranged from $46,500 in Floyd County to $57,600 in Montgomery County and Radford.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- The environmentalists will get some satisfaction.

The humanitarians will get some aid.

And the bargain hunters will get a rush.

The opening of the New River Valley's first Habitat for Humanity ReStore -- a building supply outlet that sells donated materials and home supplies at discounted prices -- is a win-win-win situation.

"Everything here is 30 [percent] to 70 percent less than retail, and anybody can shop here," said Tim Gardner, a 37-year-old former self-employed contractor. "All proceeds go into the Habitat for Humanity to continue our mission of eliminating poverty housing. That's why our slogan is 'Shop here while building for others.' "

Gardner, who's overseeing the scheduled Feb. 10 opening of the ReStore and will serve as manager once it's up and running, said the concepts behind the store are threefold.

"Rather than ask for a cash donation, we accept donations of goods," he explained. "We want to be able to provide affordable materials for people who wouldn't otherwise be able to improve their homes. And we want to keep this stuff out of the landfill because the landfills are filling up."

The ReStore will be Habitat's 12th such outlet in Virginia, and the "stuff" to which Gardner refers is pretty good stuff.

Standing in the massive Gateway Plaza building that first housed Hills Department Store and later the Memory Lane Antiques Mall, Gardner and several volunteers were surrounded by boxes of mostly new goods ranging from lamps to lavatories to levels. Brand names -- such as Moen bath fixtures, Fedders air conditioners and Skil power tools -- filled pallets.

"This was an 11-year dream of the board," Gardner said as his eyes swept the wide space already showcasing lawn furniture, bathtubs and home accessories. "The board members have been collecting stuff for years and storing it at a warehouse in Pulaski. They had been looking and looking for a place. This came available and they were able to work things out."

"Through donations and a lot of hard work, their dream is finally coming true," he said.

Gardner, who's also a former U.S. Navy Seabee -- Seabees are the Navy's construction force -- gave up his job as a contractor in 2003 to work with Habitat for Humanity. With a tour of duty in Iraq under his belt, he said he wanted to devote his time and expertise to doing something of value locally.

"I like what Habitat does for the community," he said. "The Lord has blessed me with everything I've been doing in my life."

Even though he was injured in Iraq when a 700-pound weight fell on him, Gardner said the two mechanical discs doctors put in his back haven't slowed him in doing the strenuous work of his current job.

"I can still run and do push-ups," he said. "The Lord's definitely blessing this affiliation, too."

Terri Fitzwater-Palmore, executive director of the New River Valley affiliate, said a donation of $183,000 given by a woman in her will in 2005 was part of that blessing.

"We were able to use that to do some housing and get the ReStore started," she said. "We were blessed by God and got the location."

Gardner said local businesses have embraced the ReStore, offering donations and help.

Rakes Construction of Shawsville donated a forklift for use in the store. The Virginia Housing Development Authority donated office chairs. Enterprise Rent-a-Car gives a discount on the trucks Gardner rents for trips to Maryland to pick up items donated from a building supply warehouse there.

Gardner said manufacturers' warranties are good on new items. Some items are available simply because the colors are discontinued or something as small as a screw is missing.

The ReStore will offer things you can't get in retail stores, such as single pieces of vinyl siding.

"If the wind blows a piece off your house, you don't have to go buy a whole box of it," Gardner noted.

Bob Kelly, an 81-year-old volunteer from Riner who's been assembling new lawn furniture, attested to the quality of the merchandise coming to the ReStore.

"It's nice stuff, not cheap quality," Kelly said. "It's really nice."

Kelly, who retired to the New River Valley after being a vice president of Sikorsky Aircraft, said he joined Habitat for Humanity 11 years ago and helped build four houses in Blacksburg.

"I wouldn't be there if it wasn't rewarding," he said. Kelly thinks the ReStore will help the local chapter build more houses in the community.

Shelley Fortier of Blacksburg said the ReStore inspired her to get involved more directly with Habitat for Humanity.

"My husband and I have been talking about participating for quite a while," she said as she worked with volunteer Kay Kay Goette to assemble pegboard displays. "We've always contributed but not participated. I figured it was time to jump in!"