Habitat for Humanity builds on ReStore & After foundation

Why have regular old furniture when you could have a wine bar that used to be a side table? Or a dining room table that used to be a set of shutters?

Throughout the year, Habitat for Humanity ReStore (with locations at 6700 S. University Ave., Little Rock, and in the Pike Plaza Shopping Center, 2657 Pike Ave., North Little Rock) accepts donations of furniture, doors, windows, appliances and a wide assortment of home and construction items, which are then sold to the public. So, unneeded items stay out of landfills, shoppers can find bargains and the money raised supports Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas.

Habitat's ReStore & After fundraiser, now in its seventh year, takes a creative spin, as marketing director Becky Pittman explains.

Participants contact Habitat and receive a voucher for the ReStore. They go in, choose items, rework them somehow and then donate them back to be auctioned at ReStore & After. The deadline for artist participation has already passed, but there's always next year.

"We have a lot of local artists who do it but if anyone wants to give it a shot, we encourage them to do it," Pittman says. "We want as many people involved as possible."

Some of this year's pieces include a door painted and covered with detailed pencil sketches, Batman bar stools and the table-turned-wine bar.

Group 5 West Creative Director Wes McCann is a regular participant who, according to Pittman, has a flair for turning dull pieces into colorful eye-catchers. This year he's reworking candlesticks and a table.

"We're getting more and more donations," Pittman says. "More unique, interesting, beautiful pieces that really highlight the creativity of people in our community. It's just growing and expanding."

The event isn't limited to the art auction. Guests can expect music and "life-sized games like Jenga." The $50 admission price includes food provided by Embassy Suites, which will feature a gourmet mac and cheese bar and a do-it-yourself s'mores bar. Wine, beer and a signature cocktail are also included in the ticket price and there will be a cash bar as well.

All money raised will go to build a house for a qualifying local family.

"A lot of people think we give houses away. That's a common misconception," Pittman says.

Instead, money raised by Habitat goes to buy materials, and the homeowners work with a team of volunteers to build the house, which they then buy with a l̶o̶w̶e̶r̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶t̶g̶a̶g̶e̶ no interest mortgage*.

"It brings the price of the home way down and makes home ownership affordable and accessible," she says. "They invest sweat equity in the home and then they pay the mortgage."

Ultimately, ReStore & After allows attendees to decorate houses with some unique conversation-starting pieces while helping another family finally own a home of their own.

As Pittman says, "It's a one-of-a-kind community event that highlights the creativity of your neighbor while at the same time helping to fund Habitat's mission to build strength, stability and self-reliance."

Weekend on 09/15/2016

*CORRECTION: Habitat for Humanity gives clients a no interest mortgage on their homes. The cost of the loan was reported incorrectly in this story.