One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and donating household items that are no longer wanted or needed can benefit a needy Richmond County family.

Habitat for Humanity of the N.C. Sandhills’ Richmond County ReStore has now been open for a week in the Lowe’s Shopping Center in Rockingham, but the need for donations is far from over.

Habitat ReStore Manager Jo Ann Thurman said there has been no lack of interest in purchasing items by the community since it opened, but the same willingness to donate is necessary to keep items on the store’s shelves.

“The first week has been awesome,” Thurman said. “We got a really good response from the community, and there’s been a steady flow of traffic everyday, but with everything we’ve sold we need a constant flow of items coming in to replace them. The only way we can do that is through donations.”

Habitat Richmond County Area Manager Chris Carpenter explained the unique nature of the ReStore, in that it depends on donations for its merchandise.

“Unlike most retail stores, we do not have the ability to call distributors and wholesalers to get our goods to sell,” Carpenter said. “Our ability to be successful depends directly upon the citizens of Richmond County and their willingness to make donations.”

Habitat ReStores operate on the basis of reuse, recycle and renew. It sells donated items to raise money to carry out the Christian non-profit’s true mission - building affordable homes for needy families.

Habitat of the Sandhills hopes to raise enough money to build about two homes a year off the proceeds from the Richmond County ReStore.

Thurman said the organization is looking for all kinds of donations to build affordable homes.

“We need all of it - furniture, appliances, building supplies, household goods, electronics,” she said. “Really, there is very little that we don’t take, so if anybody has a question about whether we’ll take something, I’d rather them just call the store and ask me rather than assume we don’t.”

The ReStore’s regular business hours are from Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and donations are also accepted during those hours.

Appointments may be made to pick up or drop off donations on Monday as well by calling the ReStore at (910) 817-9576.

The organization also has a covered truck to send out to pick up donations by appointment.

“If anybody has too many items, or they’re too big to bring to the store, we’ll gladly come pick it up,” she said. “They just have to call ahead and set up a time for us to come out and get it.”

Habitat of the Sandhills has already been through an arduous process just to open its ReStore in Rockingham.

Construction has begun on a Habitat home for the Davis family on Everett Street in Rockingham.

Recipient families earn their home by putting in “sweat hours” working on their home or another Habitat home, taking courses on financial responsibility and paying back a loan on the home.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.