hABITAT FOR ALL

I used to drive all the way to Maple Shade to browse from the  treasures that can abound at Habitat for Humanity's Restore. This year a new Restore location opened at 3111 West Allegheny Ave, just around the corner from the StudioIQL East Falls offices. Restore sells gently used furniture, appliances, building materials and home goods. Habitat for Humanity uses 100% of ReStore’s profits to build and repair homes in Philadelphia.

The pieces I have found at Restore include a coral velvet couch that receives more gushing compliments than any single piece I have ever purchased. When volunteering to set up an apartment for an elderly woman experiencing housing challenges, I found a wood and iron coffee table at Restore. The “Thank You” card I received, explicitly mentions the love of this small table and how it perfectly complements her living room. I keep this card at my desk. 

We all deserve to feel proud of our home. Other cherished finds from Restore include a low japanese mustard velvet sectional sofa for $200. It fits my sitting room perfectly and I matched the wall color to the velvet. We also make sure that anything usable from renovatioin demolition, extra building materials or no longer wanted furnishings from our clients, all go to Restore to find new homes. 

Creating respectable housing by using donated goods and volunteer labor has been the mission of Habitat for Humanity since it was founded by Millard Fuller in 1968. Millard was a self made millionaire by the age of 29. He gave away his vast personal wealth and took up residence, with his wife Lina, in a Christian community farm named Koinonia Farm. While on the farm, they undertook projects, the primary focus of which was partnership building housing. Believing that “what the poor needed was capital, not charity” was the ethos that began Habitat for Humanity. Habitat's most famous volunteer to pick up a hammer was Jimmy Carter. By 2009 Habitat had built 300,000 homes worldwide. Creating housing for more than a million people in more than 100 countries worldwide. 

Millard was ultimately fired from Habitat for multiple accusations of misconduct with female staffers. He insisted till his death that he was ousted by the board of directors for political reasons. He said that they  pushed him out to find a "high-paid bean counter, instead of someone with "strong Christian commitment”.  Other prominent board members were quoted as saying  “Millard was a hugger and that was misinterpreted… some people went out of their way to make something big out of something that wasn't really that big…"  

Whatever side of history Millard falls on, his life’s mission made a profound impact. 

In a 1995 speech in Washington he was quoted as saying. "Our choice is between grace and disgrace. Do we want graceful communities, where love and concern abound, or disgraceful ones, where love and concern are withheld and dispensed only to a privileged few? …if we give (people) a good place to live, they’ve all got a better chance.”

Parking at the Allegheny location is abundant. Staffers are super friendly and helpful. All can roll up their sleeves and volunteer to join the workforce. 

Val Nehez is the owner and principal designer at Studio IQL in East Falls (StudioIQL.com). For more images of the church and the rectory, go to Instagram Studio_iql and quickandlovely_design.