If you’ve ever visited ReStore and chatted about upcycling with a volunteer, you might have met Inez!
Five years ago, Inez retired and was searching for somewhere to volunteer. When a friend invited her to an orientation day to learn more about volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, she noticed that her values strongly aligned with Habitat’s. Providing a hand-up, not a handout, caught Inez’s attention, and she decided that Habitat was where she wanted to volunteer her time. At the time, her options ranged from special events to volunteering in the office, but after years of working in finance, Inez was looking for a new experience. The more she considered her options, the more she realized that ReStore had the answers.
ReStore has been Inez’s home-away-from-home for the last five years, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. ReStore is important to her because it helped her rediscover herself. Inez believes in reducing waste, and ReStore helps her show others the joy in “re”, encouraging them to re-use and re-love items. Inez feels encouraged as she watches customers see life in something used, and she likes to imagine the art they will create out of items they purchased at ReStore. Conversing with customers is one of Inez’s favourite activities, and she loves experiencing “aha” moments, when customers find exactly what they’re looking for and their eyes sparkle.
The team spirit Inez experiences makes her feel valued. The environment helps her rediscover what she misses about her career while she forms new connections and relationships. She enjoys her days at ReStore so much that everyone in her life knows not to bother her on Wednesdays because those are her ReStore days.
Habitat is lucky to have a passionate volunteer like Inez on the ReStore team! Learn how you can volunteer at ReStore.
