Spring is starting to get into full swing and we are all ready to get going on our spring clean up and home improvement projects. When you are cleaning out your garage, basement or starting a home improvement project, please remember the Syracuse Habitat for Humanity ReStore. We accept a wide variety of home improvement items that are resold to help support future builds at Syracuse Habitat.  For a quick 3 minute video on how to donate to the ReStore, take a look at the video below.

With your donation to the Syracuse ReStore, you are able to help us build more homes and keep perfectly good materials out of local landfills. We will even pick up your donation! All you need to do is call us to arrange a pick up time of your donation. So remember us this spring, and tell your neighbors too!

Syracuse Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Hours of Operation

Here is a Complete list of our acceptable items:

Large Appliances

• Must be clean and in proven working condition, no more than 10 years old
• Washers and dryers
• Refrigerators
• Stoves and ovens (gas and electric)
• Dishwashers
• Range hoods/tops
• Microwave ovens

Architectural items

• Columns
• Mantels
• Porch posts
• Banisters

Cabinets

• Individual pieces or full sets of cabinets
• Must have all doors and drawers and be in stable condition

Counter Tops

• All materials, at least 4 feet long. No size requirements if accompanies matching cabinet. NO chips, cracks, or other damage

Doors

• No rotting or cracks, all panes must be intact
• Pre-hung or door slabs
• Interior or exterior
• Sliding glass – must have all tracking and glass intact with no damage or fogging. Thermal only.

Electrical

• Residential items only (no large donations of miscellaneous stock)

Fans

• Ceiling fans must be in working condition and complete with blades removed and taped to motor. Include the mounting brackets and all screws.

Flooring

• Carpets – new or “gently used,” with no visible stains or odors- please have them measured, marked and tied.
• Carpet padding – new or “gently used,” with no visible stains or odors- please have them measured, marked and tied.
• Vinyl tile, sheet vinyl, linoleum – any quantity of new material  – please bring them measured marked and tied
• Hardwood or parquet flooring – free of rot and in usable quantities
• Ceramic tile- one case minimum

Hardware

• Complete sets of door hinges, cabinet hardware, etc. – free from rust
• Nails, screws, hangers, etc. – any quantity
• Lock sets please include keys

Insulation

• Fiber glass batts: new or like new, never damp or wet. Please bring them rollend and bound and marked with thickness and length
• Blown insulation: new bags only
• Sheet – rigid foam ½ sheet minimum

Lighting

• In good condition and working order
• Fluorescent lights-ballast label must state “no PCBs”

Lumber

• Must be free of rot and insects
• Plywood – full, ½, and ¼ sheets
• Milled lumber – 4′ lengths or greater
• Trim/molding – 4′ lengths or greater

Masonry

• Bricks – whole, intact, in good condition
• Cinder blocks – whole, intact, in good condition

Paint & wall coverings

• Full, unopened cans of latex paint or stain with color identified
• Full rolls of wallpaper or border
• Spray paint-container must be full, nozzle functions, and agitator ball rattles freely

Plumbing fixtures & hardware

• Sinks
  • Kitchen – normal wear and tear ok, no chips or deep scratches in finish. Self rimming or undermount
  • Bathroom wall mount –with hanger
  • Bathroom bowl: new or used cast iron, porcelain, steel, or composite ok
  • Pedestal sinks: new and used acceptable, neutral colors only. No chips, cracks, ‘spider veins’ in bowl
  • Vanity Tops: new and used acceptable, single and double bowl, neutral colors only, nothing out-dated (glitter swirls, etc). No chips, cracks, spider veins in bowl or excessive wear
• Bathtubs – in good condition
• Shower enclosures – in good condition, with all components
• Toilets: 1.6 gallon flush
• Plumbing hardware
• Pipe – New PVC, metal, and copper, supplies and fittings
• Water heaters, less than 3 years old in good condition

Roofing materials & gutters

• New shingles, in full bundles
• Rolls of roofing material, ½ roll minimum
• New roofing and gutter materials in full pieces, no rust or damage

Sheet rock (wall board, drywall)

• 2’ x 4′ lengths or greater

Tools

• Hand or power tools in any working condition, will sell “as is”

Vents

• Flooring, ceiling, and return – clean and in good condition

Windows & screens

• Aluminum storms for recycling only
• Dual pane only – no single pane
• In good condition, glass intact, no rot – will be inspected before accepted
• Complete units only

Adhesives

• New, unopened, and not expired

Caulk

• New, unopened, and not expired

Bath

• Towel bars, soap dishes, TP holders, toothbrush holders, complete with brackets and hardware
• Handicap grabs bars and support items, in good condition with all parts and accessories.

Ceiling tile

• All types; new only. No pieces, water damage, or other damage or deterioration. In original packaging marker with either manufacture date or containing the words “no asbestos.” Must be manufactured after 1980, previously manufactured products will not be accepted.

Grid pieces

• Full lengths, no damage, no rust; white color only

Fencing

• Chain link fabric, Gates, & Top Rail- Good condition, little damage or rust
• Wooden: in panels, any height, little rot or deterioration, good structural condition
• Vinyl- full pieces or panels only, no damage
• All posts- structurally sound, unbent, clean with no concrete attached
• All other fencing materials (chicken wire, snow fence, etc) are acceptable.
• No rust, major tears, or other serious damage

Fire places and Accessories

• Fireplace inserts- Good condition with all parts, well maintained, relatively clean
• Fireplaces, stand-alone, good condition with all parts, well maintained, relatively clean with good cosmetic appearance.
• Fronts and Doors- complete, no rust or damage, relatively clean, fully functional

Gas Logs

• Working order and relatively clean

HVAC

• Furnaces – Gas or electric, perfect working order needing no repair or parts, inner workings not rusty, well-maintained. 80% or above efficiency
• Air conditioners (central outdoor unit) – 3 years old or less, perfect working order needing no repair or parts, well-maintained, with matching evaporator (a-coil) if separate unit
• Air conditioners (window)- 5 years old or less, perfect working order needing no repair or parts

Miscellaneous

• Duct-All types; 2’ sections and longer, little rust or corrosion
• Vents/covers- no rust
• Thermostats: digital only
• Siding (no vinyl)
• Wood and hardboard -6’ long or longer for lengths, at least ½ sheet in size for sheets/panels, no damage or rot
• Stone and Rock
• Wall, veneer, and landscape stone all accepted. Must be relatively clean with little debris, little or mortar.
• Interior and exterior shutters
• Mirrors – framed only, no free standing glass

The following items cannot be accepted by the ReStore:

• Furniture (please donate to the Salvation Army)
• Electronic equipment
• Household goods
• Siding of any kind
• Aluminum or single-pane windows
• Any large stock of miscellaneous electrical or plumbing parts
• Appliances not in working order
• Blinds
• Broken glass or mirrors
• Clothing
• Drapes
• Garage doors
• Mattresses
• Paint thinner or other hazardous chemicals or materials
• Pesticides of any kind
• Open or partial cans of paint, stain, or similar substances
• Unframed glass or mirrors
• Water heaters

A look poverty thresholds in the USA

The mission of Syracuse Habitat for Humanity is to work in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with people by building homes, so that there are decent houses in our communities in which people can live and grow into all that God intended. We create partnerships within the community by crossing racial, cultural, political and economic barriers. We are so grateful to all our donors and volunteers who have selflessly donated their time, money and materials to Syracuse Habitat for Humanity. All our supporters have helped us achieve our mission, and we could not live up to our mission without you!

Below is an article that will give you quick background on how we measure poverty in the United States and how Syracuse Habitat for Humanity is actively working to combat poverty in our neighborhoods. Please remember, you never need to swing a hammer, pound a nail or climb a ladder to help Syracuse Habitat for Humanity. Being an advocate for change and inspiring others to take action will help us achieve our mission. Also, please remember our ReStore and if you have any home improvement projects please consider donating your surplus materials. For more information, please view our ReStore website at www.syracuserestore.org.

What are poverty thresholds?

One current way we measure poverty is through poverty thresholds that were established in the 1960s by Mollie Orshansky. The poverty thresholds are adjusted each year using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). According to federal guidelines, the poverty level in 2009 was $22,050 for a family of four and $18,310 for a family of three (Please see table below for more thresholds).

Orshansky developed the poverty thresholds that we use today. The thresholds were based on the “thrifty food plan.” This was a food plan by the Department of Agriculture designed for emergency and temporary assistance to families. During the 1960s, families were estimated to spend about one-third of their after-tax income on food. Orshansky then multiplied the food plan by three, arriving at the minimum income for a family. Orshanksy then calculated accordingly for number of family members. In 1963, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $3,100.

Poverty is not measured through material hardship, debt and does not consider financial assets. Living in substandard housing, owning property and savings therefore does not necessarily mean a family is in poverty. Also, poverty measures do not take into account geographic differences. The thresholds below are the same in any city across the country.

The way the government calculates poverty thresholds has remained unchanged except for the adjustments based on inflation. For years analysts have argued that the way we measure poverty is outdated and inaccurate. Today, food costs only compromise one-seventh of an averages families expenses and expenses such as housing, child care, health care, transportation and related expenses have increased dramatically. Finding consensus on what constitutes a basic families need has always been and will always be a contentious issue; some analysts argue that in order for families to meet their most basic resource demands, an income double the current poverty level is needed.

A quick search on the web will yield hundreds of thousands of sites on poverty. There are a lot of great resources, whether you are interested in poverty at the local, state, federal or international level. There are a lot of great resources and thousands of great organizations working to fight poverty – and remember that poverty is not solely about income levels and you should think of poverty more holistically. Poverty can be viewed as an all inclusive term for a lack of resources due to income restraints – the inability to access education, food, shelter, mental and physical health, welfare programs and related challenges, etc – all encompass poverty. You will find millions of resources branching across numerous fields and can easily find poverty issues that interest you.

In 1976, Habitat for Humanity was founded by Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda. From the onset, Habitats mission has been to work to eradicate poverty and substandard housing in our community.  Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has build over 350,000 houses around the world and provided safe, decent and affordable shelter to 1.75 million people in 3,000 communities. In the last 25 years, Syracuse Habitat for Humanity has built or renovated over 56 homes, working to eradicate poverty and provide safe and affordable housing to everyone in our community.