About: Bryan College Station Habitat for Humanity is the fourth largest HFH affiliate in Texas. The following is a draft of the BCS HFH ReStore manual prepared by Stephen Huddleston during the late spring and early summer of 2006. This manual is extinsively based on and derived from the ReStore manual found on partnernet.org.

Why: Wikipedia will allow future VISTAs to easily edit and share this manual.

BCS HFH ReStore Manual Draft 5

Sources of Material, Donation Policies and Procedures

Individual Homeowners

Most donations come from individual donors remodeling their homes. Always make local homeowners feel like they have made a difference. Express thanks no matter what the condition of donated items are in. Each pick up or donation experience is an opportunity for us to leave a positive impression of BCS Habitat for Humanity.

Home Improvement Retailers

Contact big building supply stores. Please continue to expand and nurture our existing commercial relationships. Possible problems with returns, where customers buy a product from the ReStore and try to return it to the retailer for full prices, sometimes inhibits major retailers from making donations. To eliminate the problem and encourage retailer donations, ensure that the trade name and UPC on every donated item is defaced or removed. Some stores will do this prior to donating items.
To encourage donations, remind retailers that in the end they will benefit from projects begun with ReStore products. There are always new supplies necessary to finish remodeling jobs.
Large chain stores have a charity unit in every store. Habitat for Humanity and its ReStores are a great match for the goods and services they offer. These charity units are there to give back to their communities. Habitat can and does help them accomplish that mission in a very effective way.

Manufacturers and Distributors

Manufacturers and distributors are additional sources that have been very productive for both Habitat affiliates and Habitat ReStores. Many have donated trailer truckloads of goods, including slightly imperfect, scratched, dented, outdated, overstocked or unpopular products and returned merchandise. It is of the utmost importance that ReStores and affiliates adhere to conditions accompanying some donations. The donor may state that the donated building material is only for use in construction of Habitat houses and is not to be sold. Such requests must be honored. Any misuse of donations or errors may have repercussions far beyond the BCS ReStore.

Trade Shows

Attending a trade show is a positive way of generating new business and approaching new suppliers. Booth space is sometimes donated. Good placement is important. Have two or more volunteers in the booth promoting the ReStore while two or three other volunteers visit every vendor in the auditorium, handing out business cards and making contact. The BCS ReStore participates in Earth Day, Brazos Valley Household Hazardous Waste Day, conventions at the Brazos center, Post Oak Mall events, and other opportunities as they arise. Hazardous waste day is our best way to dispose of old paint. The BCS ReStore has received special permission in the past to bring large amounts of paint for disposal.

Stock the following building materials:


Appliances: dishwashers, range tops, washers and dryers, ovens, refrigerators, freezers microwaves, TVs, DVD players, VCRs, stereos, trash compactors, AC window units, central air conditioners.

Architectural items: columns, antiques, mantel pieces, fireplaces.

Bathroom fittings: tubs, sinks, shower heads, faucets, commodes, shower stalls, bathtub stalls, towel bars, fixed soap dishes, shower rods.

Doors: solid, hollow, storm, glass doors, screen doors, closet doors, accordion doors.

Cabinets and countertops: complete kitchen cabinet sets, partial sets, countertops made of anything from granite to particle board, cabinet doors, cabinet drawers.

Electrical items: plugs, wiring, fluorescent light fixtures, incandescent light fixtures, electrical switches, circuit breakers, lamps.

Hardware: door handles, dummy knobs, complete knob sets, dead bolts, hinges, screws, nuts, bolts, nails.

Lumber: complete and partial sheets of plywood, OSB, particle board, siding, trim, molding, framing lumber (2x4s, 2x6s, 2x12s, 4x4s, etc…; use judgement on size, multiple 5ft pieces required for pickups)

Piping and plumbing: PVC, iron, copper, bronze, steel, aluminum pipes and fittings.

Roofing: shingles, metal sheeting, gutters, roofing nails.

Tools: pursue any functional tool of any sort and any age, it all sells (hand tools, power tools, lawnmowers, edgers, etc.).

Vents: ceiling AC vents, floor vents, return vents, cornice vents.

Wall board and covering: sheet rock, paneling (only accept pieces greater equal to or greater than half sheet size).

Windows: non-broken windows of any size and age, shutters of all shapes and sizes, (broken windows are to be recycled).

Working automobiles and bicycles.

Trees, potted plants, garden items, bricks.

Furniture: couches, sleeper sofas, love seats, desks, chairs, dinning room tables, patio furniture, dinner trays, book cases, roll top desks.

Accept scrap metals for recycling


Picking Up Goods; Avoiding Items that are Difficult to Sell

The public may try to use the ReStore as a dumping ground for unwanted or damaged items. To avoid unwanted unloading of trucks (resulting in unusable items), a member of the ReStore staff should view all donations before accepting them.
Items to be donated should be verified over the telephone with the donor before they are brought to the store. Before setting up an item for delivery, determine whether the cost of transportation will be excessive in relation to the value of the item.
We pick up donations as long as the benefit outweighs the net cost of gas and volunteer time. When picking up an item, it is the driver’s discretion to accept it or not.

Donation Receipt Form

Fill out a “receipt for donated goods” whenever a donation is made directly to the store. Take the following steps when filling out a RFDG form:
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