We are excited to introduce the newest employees of the Mauston Habitat ReStore, Frank and Elizabeth. Originally from Hustisford, Wisconsin, Frank worked as a Field Engineer for Eastman Kodak for thirty-three years and retired in 2012. After deciding he was not ready for a full retirement yet, he chose to find a place to work part time where his efforts would benefit people in need. Frank will be helping the ReStore by taking over the scheduling of donation pick ups, and will often be there to do some heavy lifting as well. Frank started in July and has already proven to be a valuable addition to the ReStore.

Elizabeth is from Chippewa Falls and lived in Eau Claire for the last decade. She worked at Menards for nine years as an Assistant Front End Manager before joining us at the ReStore. Elizabeth brings experience in working with and selling building supplies, and stated “I’m not intimidated by windows and doors.” She will be involved in cashiering and customer service at the ReStore. We are excited to see what contributions Elizabeth and Frank can make in the coming years.

At the end of August we received a vehicle donation from Lori and Billy Armstrong of Friendship, WI. The Armstrong family donated their 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS. The car is a black two-door, and has been kept in great condition by the Armstrong’s and previous owners. The car is now for sale at the Mauston Habitat ReStore at N 3696 Hwy 12-16, Mauston, WI. This generous donation marks the first vehicle donated to Habitat for Humanity of Adams and Juneau County.

Accepting used cars is not uncharted territory for Habitat for Humanity, which launched the “Cars for Homes” program worldwide in 2005. The proceeds of this program help Habitat build more homes, while the donor receives a tax write-off and the knowledge that they helped a family in need. This car and any other sold by our affiliate in the future will go towards building new homes in our local area.

If you have a car that you are not using, or are looking to upgrade and get rid of your current car, call us at 888-844-8055 to donate. We accept all cars, even those that are not running properly. Why not help us build a home for a family in need today?

The Mauston Habitat ReStore now accepts donations from seven counties in central Wisconsin.  While originally serving Adams and Juneau, in recent months we have been accepting donation from Habitat affiliates in the Marshfield area, Monroe County, and the Wisconsin Rapids area.  Starting this month we have formed an additional donation partnership with the combined affiliate serving Green Lake, Marquette, and Waushara Counties.  None of these affiliates had a way to accept or sell donated items in the past. Partnering with our ReStore allows them to increase their funds for building homes, while helping us as well. These new relationships allow our ReStore to pick up donations in a much larger area.

When we get donations from Adams or Juneau Counties, all profits go directly to building homes in those counties. This process has not changed since the foundation of the ReStore. When donated items from other areas are sold, we split the profits with the donor’s local affiliate.

This system has already allowed us to build more homes in Adams and Juneau Counties, keep clutter out of county landfills, and help other Habitat affiliates build more houses as well. If you have furniture, appliances, house wares, or building supplies, call us at 608-847-2000. To save you time and money, we can pick up your donation and provide you with a receipt to use for tax exemption.

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!