ReStore South Celebrates 20 Years!
The Pikes Peak Habitat ReStore opened its doors on January 17, 2004, to
- provide a sustainable funding source for Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity
- enable individuals and businesses to donate used construction supplies and home goods, rather than adding them to landfills
- offer those donated items to customers at a fraction of retail prices
- recycle items we can't resell
The ReStore opened at 411 S. Wahsatch Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903. We're still there today -- but we've grown from renting a small storefront to purchasing the entire complex. Our retail space has expanded to occupy the building and an outdoor south lot, and we also have an extensive storage facility.
When the store opened, the shelves were only 20 percent filled with materials. There was only one area for receiving, sorting, and pricing of donated items. This single area also served to move purchased goods to the customers’ vehicles....At first, there were a handful of volunteers and only one individual knew how to operate the cash register.
-John Veteto
In 2021, we expanded to a second ReStore location, Northeast, at 6250 Tutt Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80923.
In 2023, we opened a virtual third shop online to sell fragile, rare, collectible, and vintage items.
Over the past 20 years, proceeds from the Pikes Peak ReStores have funded the construction of 128 homes for El Paso County workforce families.
Media coverage:
Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its Store Called ReStore (KOAA News5, Jan. 17)
Revisit Historic Highlights with Us!
2003: Pikes Peak Habitat Announces Plans to Open a ReStore
"We are Re-using, Re-cycling, and Reselling building materials and home improvement supplies in good, useable condition. Not only will our ReStore help divert many tons of materials away from our local landfills, but we will also provide local residents with a DISCOUNT home improvement store."
-John Veteto, first ReStore manager, in a Fall 2003 Coming Home article (PDF)
2004: ReStore Opens
"Both our Board of Directors, and our ReSTORE committee, have high expectations for this new venture and hope that the profits from the store will allow us to build an additional four homes later this year or early 2005."
-Paul M. Johnson, then Pikes Peak Habitat executive director, in the Winter 2004 edition of Coming Home
In its first year, the ReStore grew from 10,000 to 13,000 square feet! The addition of a truck enabled staff to pick up donations from around El Paso County.
Read more:
- Habitat ReSTORE Is Open for Business! (PDF), Coming Home, Winter 2004
- Habitat ReSTORE Is Growing (PDF), Coming Home, Fall 2004
2005-13: A Decade of Growth
- The ReStore Celebrates its First Anniversary (PDF), Coming Home, Winter 2005
- The ReStore generates $1 million in sales, June 2007
- ReStore Sales Build Four Habitat Homes (PDF), Coming Home, Summer 2007
- Strengthening Families and the Environment (PDF), Coming Home, Spring 2008
Left, ReStore Manager John Veteto thanks local artist Michael Garman for creating the ReStore “shadow box.” Due to the generous partnership with the Garman family, the ReStore expanded to more than 31,000 square feet in 2007.
Cutting the 10th Anniversary cake. From left: Laurel Thorstensen, Pikes Peak Habitat Board Member; Paul Johnson, Executive Director; John Veteto, ReStore General Manager.
2014-23: More Expansion, More Volunteers, More Partner Families, More Environmental Impact
- ReStore Celebrates 10 Years (PDF), Coming Home, Winter 2014
- How Does the ReStore Support Pikes Peak Habitat? (PDF), Coming Home, Summer 2017
- The ReStore launches its paint recycling program: What's New at the ReStore? (PDF), Coming Home, Fall 2018
- Upcycle with the ReStore (PDF), Coming Home, Summer 2019
- ReStore Finishes Record Year (PDF), Coming Home, Fall 2019
- New Habitat ReStore Comes to Northeast Colorado Springs in 2021 (PDF), Coming Home, Fall 2020
- AmeriCorps NCCC Team Creates Impact at Construction Sites and ReStore (PDF), Coming Home, Winter 2020
- Volunteers Are the Heart of the ReStore (PDF), Coming Home, Spring 2020
- Second ReStore Expands Capacity to Serve (PDF), Coming Home, Spring 2022
- Reuse, Reporpose, Recycle with ReStores (PDF), Coming Home, Spring 2023
- Artist Relies on ReStore to Refurbish Home (PDF), Coming Home, Spring 2023
- ReStore launches online store, Spring 2023
- Young Men's Service League Finds Volunteer Opportunities Through Pikes Peak Habitat (PDF), Coming Home, Summer 2023
