One Man’s junk, Another Man’s Treasure

I set my self to my last chance I could get to immerse myself, which for me was volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

I had no idea what a ReStore was prior to this expeirence.

But from my quick google search, a ReStore is like a thrift shop but more for homes than for people.

At 7:55 am, looking at the sign for Habitat for Humanity Restore. I had reclined myself in my car to get an extra minute of sleep while they were still closed. The plaza around me was empty, maybe one or two cars but generally vacant.

My 5-minute alarm rang and it was time to see what I was exactly volunteering for. I had that curious new and nervous feeling going on in my stomach. I quickly told myself to stop, that I was too old for this as I got into the store. I was just simply volunteering at this thrift store but couldnt help anticipate what exactly they would have me do.

When I walked into the store, I noticed a lot of house furniture and knick-knacks. There were no clothes in sight, suggesting that this wasn’t exactly a thrift store. A short-haired woman called Susan greeted me instantly. She was looking all over pointing in different directions to move furniture and telling the people inside where with a witty smile. Right next to her was another volunteer and by the looks of it, he must’ve been a high school student.

As we walked to the back to get volunteer nametags I noticed the setting of the store. Each couch belongs to a living room set. They had set up the donated furniture to match and create mini living room sets with flowers and centerpieces. The left side of the store occupied the books, linen and towels, and picture frames. The back was filled with kitchen and house knick-knacks and construction supplies. And of course a musty worn smell filled the air.

The employee room was a small, sectioned off corner of the store. The room was filled with a desk and a fridge. While we were filling out our name tags, an old man in his late 60s came in. “Hello there!” he said and grinned.

Susan told us that his name was Charlie and if we had any questions or were lost to just ask him for help.

He had crystal blue eyes and salt and pepper hair although it was more salt than pepper. Something about his mannerism made him seem like he was stuck in the 60s.

Susan put me to work refolding all the linens and towels that were such a mess, as well as organizing the picture section. “If you see anything that looks worn or that will not sell, just toss it. I trust you.” She said. I began working immediately.

The section was a mess and clearly looked abandoned. Oddly enough folding the linen and towels made me emotional. I came across a set of towels and linen that matched but what made me nostalgic was the fact that when I was a kid and it was just me, my mom and my grandma, we had the same set. It reminded me of all the times we had in that little apartment. My grandmother has Parkinson’s and the pattern on the towels reminded me of her stronger day 15 years ago. She would run up and down after me all day. Now she shakes really bad and can barely talk. She’s also lost a lot of weight and creates scenarios in her head. Seeing this set of linens and towels that we use to own made me think, what if these were ours?

What broke me away from the sad thoughts was Charlie’s cheerful voice. A customer who was around his age walked up to him and said, “I have a question.”

“I have all the answers.” Charlie said with a stern but confident voice. Charlie spent the day up and down aisle helping customers and answering phone calls. When I asked him why he came in every other day to volunteer he said “instead of sitting home watching TV all day, I want to help people, it good to be part of a community that helps each other and you find that here at Habitat for Humanity.”

It was true, everyone from the store manager to the warehouse employees were like family. I heard them joke around with each other and talk about what was stressing them out like car and house payments. They genuinely wanted to be there and to make the store look good. To them these things weren’t a bunch of junk or garbage lying around. These things were going to help them build the next house for a family in need.

I was done making the linen look perfect and I straightened up the pictures. I had ended up only throwing away only three linens that were badly stained that looked like blood and I imagined what could’ve been the cause. Charlie on his way out from his shift said, “Wow, this hasn’t looked this neat in years, thank you for your help I’ll see you around.” He grinned and waved bye.

I felt really good that I had done something that helped others but what really confirmed my feeling was when I saw a steady flow of people going and picking out towels and linens to take. My small task made such a large difference. Who would’ve known that folding towels and linen and organizing picture frames would of driven up the day’s sales.

I asked one gray-haired woman who was browsing through the picture frames if she needed help looking for something in specific. “I usually come here to look for things I can recreate and refurbish to my liking, it’s like the bone structure to my masterpiece. I’m just browsing for good bones.” The lady said with a small giggle. I thought that was the coolest analogy I heard. Why pay for a 20–30 dollar picture frame when at the restore it’s a dollar and you can transform it into what you want.

I met people who weren’t just volunteering their weekend time but who genuinely cared and genuinely wanted to make a difference. Ill never forget Charlie and his kindness. The lady who taught me looking for “bones” to mold it to your liking would be something I take with me forever. I couldn’t help but think about that linen set that we use to own. It brought back many bittersweet memories that I wish I could relive.