Habitat for Humanity announces ‘Gifts In Kind’

According to Robert Stowell, Housatonic Habitat for Humanity’s Gift in Kind Coordinator, Housatonic Habitat GIKs are donated services or products and Housatonic Habitat thrives on them. “Most charities are looking for strictly cash donations, but Housatonic Habitat is grateful for avenues of giving that allows us to be inclusive” Stowell said.

“For example, every year a local manufacturing company donates its excess inventory to the ReStore, Housatonic Habitat’s thrift warehouse that sells to the public at a fraction of the cost of the big box prices. All sales benefit the organization,” he said.

Stowell encourages companies who have canceled orders or have changed vendors to become GIK donors. “Other sources of GIk donations,” he explains,” include excess inventories, cancelled orders or obsolete inventory. Scratch and dent merchandise are popular as donations from appliance stores.”

Stowell thanked companies with home products and furniture manufacturers. “We have received generous donations that includes dorm furniture from Western Connecticut University and outdated hotel furnishings from Ethan Allen, the latter resulting in $100,000 in ReStore sales. Twenty-five per cent of cost of building is absorbed by business and trade donating materials and labor,” he said.

Housatonic Habitat’s Executive Director Fran Normann reminds us, “That small gifts are as significant as big buck ones…families cleaning out their attics, couples downsizing. For our Brush with Kindness program which allows seniors to age at home, donations of grab bars and smoke detectors have been invaluable. The installation of a faucet is sometimes the answer to a prayer. No donation is too small.”

Housatonic Habitat’s ReStore is located at 51 Austin Street Danbury, Ct. Restore Hours; Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, www.Housatonichabitatforhumanity.org or 203-744-1340.