The Mauston ReStore is currently seeking volunteers, and the ReStore is a great place to volunteer! Come make new friends while helping our community by raising funds for our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate.  The work that our volunteers do has a direct impact on our ability to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing to low-income working families in Adams and Juneau Counties.  Whether you enjoy working in sales, you consider yourself a Mr./Mrs. Fix-It, or you just like being around really cool stuff, we could use your help!

Over the last few months, three VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) have joined Habitat. VISTA is an Americorps program that places volunteers in nonprofit organizations that help to reduce poverty in the United States. VISTAs generally serve for a one year term, and have the goal of building capacity to allow easier fulfillment of their role after they leave.

VISTA Dane DeVetter started in April and has been working on recruiting and organizing volunteers, as well as building a new ReStore website. Dane grew up near La Crosse in La Crescent, Minnesota, and recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. VISTAs Kayla Dietz and John Hunter joined Habitat in May. Kayla is working on analyzing data on ReStore sales and donations to help the ReStore staff make the best decisions about advertising and publicity.  She grew up in Reedsburg, and graduated from UW-Madison as well. John started in May and is working on the development of this newsletter, as well as marketing efforts to increase Mauston Habitat ReStore donations. He grew up in Madison and graduated last year from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. These VISTA members have been an important addition as our efforts in Juneau and Adams Counties continue to grow.

This month, our Habitat chapter will be breaking ground on two new family houses, one in Mauston and one in Adams. Both of these houses will be built with the assistance of high school construction classes.  Excavation and concrete work will be completed in August and the high school classes will begin work in early September.

Construction Instructor Randy Fabian will oversee the house construction in Mauston, while Construction Instructor Doug Eichman will be in charge of the Adams house work.  We are pleased to have these educational partners allowing us to help low income families and also provide an opportunity for young students to gain construction skills. These two projects will become the 12^th and 13^th homes built by our Habitat chapter since 2008.

Partnerships with these local schools have been instrumental in increasing the number of homes we can complete each year. The upcoming projects follow a successful home build on Mauston’s northwest side during the previous school year by the Mauston High School construction class. We are excited to see these two new homes progress over the coming months.

We are now doing scheduled donation pick-ups in Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, and Monroe County and selling those donated items in the Mauston ReStore. We then give a portion of the proceeds to those local Habitat chapters. Thus, we can offer more items for sale in the ReStore, help reduce clutter in surrounding area landfills, and fund housing for low-income working families in all of these areas. If you live in these areas and would like to schedule a pick-up, call us locally at 608-847-2000, or toll-free at 888-844-8055!

Our Mauston Habitat ReStore is deconstructing the outdoor classroom building at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. This classroom has a large quantity of fairly new high-end vinyl siding, interior knotty pine panels, many thermal pane windows and other items. These materials will be available for sale at the ReStore in the coming weeks.

Volunteer Dick Durrett has started initial work on the deconstruction, and will lead all other volunteers. Dick, a long standing volunteer at Habitat, is very experienced in this type of work and recently led the deconstruction of a house on Tremont Street in Mauston.

With any large deconstruction comes the need for volunteers. Volunteers would help with removing panels and windows from the interior of the building. Deconstruction projects are a fun way to see the exact opposite of Habitat’s usual projects: rather than building a house, why not help us tear one down? If this sounds like a good opportunity for you to serve your community, contact Dane at the ReStore (608-847-2000) and ask about volunteering.

Deconstruction is an important resource for the Restore. A project like this helps us keep the store well stocked, and proceeds support our homebuilding projects. If you or anyone you know needs a deconstruction done on their property, please contact Dailene Fry at (608) 847-2000.

Fans of the Mauston Habitat for Humanity ReStore will soon receive a monthly e-newsletter showcasing some of our most exciting developments!  Follow this link to sign up!