July 25, 2017

If age is supposed to be a time to relax a bit more, no one told the volunteers at Halifax Northampton Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. 

The store takes in goods from Lowe’s and donations from the community, which are then priced low so the community may reap the benefits. All of the sorting, moving, pricing and staffing are handled by the volunteers, averaging 50 years old or older. 

Even though the store is only open Mondays and Thursdays, it is not unusual to find volunteers on the site hard at work sorting through shipments of goods for the store or engaging in other tasks.

Thompson, 61 years old, has been working with Habitat for almost a decade and got his start by working on one of the first Habitat homes in the area.

 He says the idea of volunteering came to him from a documentary, which said people who volunteer tend to be happier and less stressed. However, his reasoning has grown from there.

“It takes a special person to volunteer because it isn’t about money,” he said. “It’s about helping others.”

“Volunteering makes you feel better,” she said. “You put something in, you get something out.”

Thompson and other volunteers enjoy working with Habitat, the group is always in need of new volunteers.

Thompson works full time with East Coast Painting. Any who volunteer are sure to find a warm welcome.

“We are more than just volunteers,” “I look at it as a family. We’re here not just for the store, we’re here for each other.”

Rochelle King, executive director of the Halifax-Northampton Habitat for Humanity, was quick to add her own interpretation of the value of volunteering, especially for those zeroing in on or in retirement today.

“It gives them an opportunity to get out of the house and do something to help someone else because that’s what our ministry is about,” she said. “It gives them a chance to meet new people, make new friends. Just to be part of something bigger than just themselves. 

And it benefits the community because without our volunteers we would not be able to do our ministry.”