MAUSTON, Wisconsin – (April 18, 2014) – On Saturday, May 3, the Mauston Habitat for Humanity ReStore will celebrate its fourth anniversary with a full day of events, including free workshops on various aspects of home repair and maintenance.

The celebration, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the ReStore, also will feature a brat fry, free hot dogs for kids, door prizes, a bucket raffle, silent auction and crafts. In addition, there will be great sales throughout the ReStore, located just two miles south of Mauston at N3696 U.S. Highway 12.

Doors open at 9 a.m., with activities beginning at 10 a.m.

The workshops, taught by the ReStore’s knowledgeable volunteers, are designed to save homeowners money on common repairs and maintenance, such as basic electrical wiring, heating-air conditioning, plumbing and lawn mower tune-ups. An additional workshop will explain how to apply for a Habitat home. Each session will be held twice during the day.

The workshops are also a great way for the ReStore to give back to the community and say “thank you” to our volunteers, donors and customers. You all play a key role in making Habitat work!

Our Habitat ReStore is pleased to be participating in a national program to provide high efficiency lighting.  As part of that program, through a company called MaxLite, customers can get four 60 watt-equivalent energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) at a fraction of their usual cost – $1 for a 4-pack of 60 watt lights. These lights are ENERGY STAR certified CFLs with an actual retail value (for 4 bulbs) of $7 to $8.  The energy savings are significant, about $6 per year per bulb (for 3 hours use per day, 7 days a week).

These lights have been made available to us through the Wisconsin Focus on Energy residential lighting program, created to promote efficient lighting and to generally conserve energy. While these lights offer the same brightness (900 lumens) as a 60 watt incandescent, they only use 13 watts and are estimated to last over 9 years. Stop by the ReStore to grab some lights, save money, and become more energy-efficient.

On April 18^th, Habitat for Humanity of Adams and Juneau Counties welcomed two new AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) to our staff, Julia and Heather. 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.

Julia graduated from Beloit College in 2013 and is originally from Des Moines, Iowa. Julia will be managing our websites, helping us find and manage volunteers, and working on a number of other tasks. Heather grew up in Tomah but has lived and worked in the Mauston area for the last six years. She will be involved with our outreach to volunteers, donors and shoppers at the ReStore. Together they will help our affiliate complete projects that would not be possible without VISTAs.

Heather and Julia represent the third year of Habitat’s partnership with the AmeriCorps VISTA program. They will be an excellent addition to our affiliate as we continue to fight substandard housing in Adams and Juneau counties.