PHOTOS: Concord Carpenter's Habitat for Humanity ReStore Salvage Day

The following are exceprts from Rob Robillard's write-up after the salvage day. Flip through the photos to the right for more about the salvage effort in photo captions.

When you’re a carpenter you get all sorts of questions and requests for favors: How do I fix this? Can I borrow one of your tools?  Is your pick-up truck free on Saturday? One recent request really got my attention.

A good friend asked if I would help her remove some of the newer windows and doors from her house, already slated for demolition. She and her husband wanted to donate the items to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

She is tearing down a circa 1960, energy inefficient house that that was in need of major updating, exterior and interior, including all of the bathrooms and the kitchen. 

They plan on saving the existing foundation and building an updated, more energy efficient, better constructed home for their family. 

When I met to go over the salvage mission with my friend, she was emotional, explaining that they have 11 years of family memories in the house and could not justify destroying parts of the home that were in great shape and could be used by someone else.

She told me she had first heard of Habitat for Humanity when her husband had worked a few days on a building a house as part of a team-building effort his employer organized. He shared his excitement with her and had always thought about volunteering again for Habitat for Humanity.  

While researching a place to donate her building materials, she came across the Habitat for Humanity ReStore website and wanted to work with them.

After hearing my friends’ emotional plea and the story of the Habitat ReStore, it clearly sounded like a win-win situation to me. 

A home’s shelter is a basic need for all people and I was sold on the idea. I spoke immediately to my carpentry crew to see if they’d help me salvage items from the house prior to demolition day. They agreed that this was a worthy use of time and we scheduled the salvage detail for that Saturday.

Click through the photos above for Rob's explanation of the work being done.

Working to salvage items from this house was a very positive experience for all of us --and time well spent. 

Volunteering makes a meaningful, positive impact on my community and the wellbeing of individual families. What better way is there to connect with your community and give something back. This is a great way to make that little corner of the world where you live just that little bit better.

Whether you’re looking for a convenient place to donate, a rewarding place to volunteer, or a great deal on that one-of-a-kind item, check out your local Habitat ReStore.

Rob Robillard is a Concord-based carpenter and editor of the A Concord Carpenter blog.