Pat ready to start her volunteer shift at the Habitat ReStore in Bonita Springs.
Since 2022, Pat has spent nearly every Thursday volunteering at our Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Bonita Springs. Throughout the years, her reason for showing up has remained the same.
“Everybody deserves a home,” Pat said. “I just want to help out as many people as I can get in a home, or if they’re in a home, furnish it any way that they can.”
At our Habitat ReStores, every donation helps build something bigger. And every volunteer lends a hand in the ReStore’s impact.
With 100 percent of profits supporting Habitat’s mission, ReStores are where donated goods are transformed into homes, communities, and hope.
For Pat, sorting through donated items is a simple way to make a big impact.
“Pat sorts and organizes drop off accessory donations, prices them, and places them on the sales floor for us,” Bonita Springs ReStore Manager Annette Sipala said. Annette has worked closely with Pat since she began volunteering in 2022.
But Pat’s journey with Habitat started long before her close affiliation with our Bonita Springs team.
“I was a donor for years,” Pat said. It wasn’t until she retired that she started her volunteer journey with our neighbors at the Naples ReStore.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 put a halt to her volunteering. But Pat’s love for the ReStore brought her back to where she started in 2022, this time at our own Bonita Springs location.
The Habitat ReStore location in Bonita Springs.
As she spends week after week sorting through knick-knacks, books, appliances, and other home goods, she keeps the families we serve in mind.
“I just try to think of what it was like when I was a young, single mother trying to get things together,” Pat shared. “When I’m there, I keep in mind anything that would help a family starting a new home.”
The ReStore doesn’t just help fund affordable houses but also helps families turn their houses into homes by providing affordable furnishings and home goods.
“Our ReStores are fueled by the generosity of local residents and businesses who donate a wide range of items, from furniture and décor to appliances and building materials,” Director of ReStore Impact & Operations Stephanie Davis said. “This allows us to offer quality items at prices that fit virtually any budget. Whether you’re a college student searching for a $25 couch for your dorm room or a family furnishing an entire home, there’s something for everyone at the ReStore.”
Pat has watched countless donations come through the doors, often finding herself impressed by the quality of what people give.
Furniture and home goods at the Bonita ReStore.
“We get some amazing stuff in there,” Pat said. “The couches, chairs or desks; it’s just beautiful. It’s like I want to buy it myself.”
While Pat was inspired by the mission, the people behind it are what makes the ReStore a special place. “Habitat hires a really good and friendly bunch of people,” Pat said. “So, it’s fun to come out. They’re almost like friends.”
Pat’s dedication has made her a valued part of the ReStore team, so much so that associates see her as one of their own.
“My associates consider her as part of our staff,” Annette said. “Pat is a self-starter; she does not quit until the job is done. She has often come in the next day and stayed late to get our donation overflow caught up so we had room in our back stockroom to move around.”
“Pat and all our regulars here at the Bonita ReStore are valued by us. We could not do it without them. They are a true blessing!”
