The ReStoration Corner

Guest Blog by Jill Carmody, ReStore Manager at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore

I have always enjoyed the responsible reuse industry. We live on a crowded planet where some have too much and others not enough, and the secondhand market has always been an effective bridge between those two disparate extremes. I like to think of thrift as the original form of recycling, and it is still an incredible way to bring a second, or sometimes third and fourth, life to a product.

Meet Jake Cisar, a generous craftsman who donated two wonderful wood artworks for our Twin Cities Hard Hat and Black Tie Gala. We were so blown away by his work that we asked if he could share his work and describe the process of creating a wooden American Flag. 

Guest Blogger: Bryce Hoban from Hook Agency shares their ReStore volunteer experience.

First, it’s a great way to give back to the community. As a business, we not only have an obligation to help our clients succeed, but we also should be working towards making the community around us better as well. Everyone here takes pride in being a Minnesotan and living in the Twin Cities and we want to make sure we are doing our part to improving our home.

Guest blog by Coleman, ReStore regular volunteer

Guest Blog by Jeff Craig
University of St. Thomas Student

Signing up for college service hours somewhere in the Twin Cities? Flexible hours plus a fun and physical environment are often a student’s key objectives. These were met by signing up at the Minneapolis Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a non-profit thrift store that is located a short three mile drive west of campus and adjacent to the Midtown Greenway bike path.

Who says you need heavy equipment and thousands of dollars to make home improvements? If you’re new to DIY projects, it’s important to understand that you can make some noticeable changes without knocking down walls or replacing appliances. In fact, many DIY home improvement projects cost less than 50 bucks.    

Looking for some inspiration? Consider these quick and easy projects to get started.

Corn dogs, mini-donuts, and…  DIY tips? You can get all of them at the Great Minnesota Get Together — if you go to the State Fair today.  

Guest post by Colin Dean
Student at University of St. Thomas

As a business student at St. Thomas, I don’t get to hear much about opportunities at nonprofits. Our professors have work experience in the for-profit world and draw from that experience to create their lectures. I am a marketing student looking to start a career in analytics, but never thought about its applications in the non-profit area of business. For business students at St. Thomas, there is a required class called Business 200: Learning through Service. In this class, we complete an internship at a non-profit to better understand how business and community partnerships advance the common good, a value central to my St. Thomas education. Along with learning the day-to-day operations of a non-profit business, this internship also taught me about developing a career that serves our communities.

Guest Blog by Lewis F., Cole S., Jack R., Sam L., and Jackson C. 
Minnetonka High School students

Over the past few months, Minnetonka High School Vantage students have partnered with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's ReStores to research and develop new ways to attract college volunteers to help out at the stores.