Habitat for Humanity of Adams-Juneau volunteer Dick Durrett was awarded ReStore Volunteer of the Year at the annual Habitat Banquet in Wisconsin Dells. The state-wide Habitat for Humanity Banquet awards two ReStore volunteers and six Affiliate volunteers from around the state. Dick is a retired aviation mechanic and technician, and has been volunteering at the Mauston Habitat ReStore for over three years.

Dick spends more than twenty hours each week working on projects for the ReStore. One of his most valuable skills is his ability to manufacture new parts for donated items, including recliners, exercise equipment, power tools and appliances. Additionally, he has rebuilt and tuned engines for lawnmowers, snow blowers, and other motorized items.

Dick has planned, supervised, and contributed to numerous deconstruction efforts, including two buildings in the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and several Victorian homes. His skills have allowed us to remove the most useful and valuable materials from a deconstruction project. Dick’s dedication to Habitat for Humanity is clear in his generous willingness to spend so much time over the past three years working on ReStore projects.

Habitat for Humanity of Adams-Juneau County volunteer Jerry Schroeder was awarded Affiliate Volunteer of the Year at the annual Habitat Banquet in Wisconsin Dells. The state-wide Habitat for Humanity Banquet awards six Affiliate volunteers and two ReStore volunteers from around the state. Jerry, a retired civil engineer, is the chair of our Habitat chapter’s construction committee and has volunteered with Habitat for over eight years.

Jerry oversees the planning for every house we work on and personally makes sure that the many details of building a house are considered and attended to. This preparation work includes making formal, detailed bid specifications for excavation, concrete, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing contractors. These bid specifications allow contractors to donate a portion of the cost, so building these homes becomes a more cost-efficient process.

As building proceeds, Jerry remains a key contact for contractors and selected families when questions or problems arise. In addition to his hard work on the houses we build each year, he offers and operates his own equipment in tree removal, lot grading, lawn installation, and drainage installation. Jerry’s knowledge, creativity and professionalism over the past eight years have been key in our ability to build two new homes each year for low income working families.

The Mauston Habitat ReStore is currently expanding its sales floor by finishing a new room within the original building. This project will add more than 275 square feet to the sales floor. Work began in September and has been largely completed by volunteers. The project is a result of increasing donations to the ReStore, which has led to the need for more open space to sell items. The new area was previously used as storage space, but will be better utilized as part of the sales floor. This area will contain books, music, and movies for sale, while the previous area that held those items will now feature hardware supplies.

Special thanks go to Dick Durrett and Paul Landa for their large time investment on the project. If you would like to help us with future ReStore projects, call us at 608-847-2000 and ask about volunteering. A number of other volunteer roles are also currently available, including cashiers, heavy lifters, and people experienced with doors and windows.

The Mauston Habitat ReStore is now alerting potential donors through Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). Since June, our donation coordinator John Hunter has been sending flyers throughout seven counties in central Wisconsin. This program, provided by the United States Postal Service, allows us to send flyers to every address in a mailing route. EDDM is a very affordable option for us to increase donations and local knowledge of our ReStore without spending a fortune on billboards, television ads, or other common options.

EDDM has been an important tool in our donation expansion into Green Lake, Marquette, and Waushara counties. Along with support from local churches, these flyers have helped spread word of the ReStore. As we continue to use EDDM, you may just find one of our flyers in your mailbox. The flyer shows all the contact information you will need, some great reasons to donate your items to the ReStore and on the back lists many items that we take.