Habitat ReStore is the low cost DIY store that builds hope and homes. We asked our volunteer Courtney about her experience in ReStore so far.
Why did you sign up to volunteer in ReStore?I signed up to get sales experience. It’s not something I’d ever done before, so I was quite nervous when I began.
Just over four months now, I started in April.
Everyone is really friendly and it’s great to be able to be so flexible, I can come in whatever day and time suits me, so it’s easy to get involved.
I’ve gotten very good at working the till, it’s like second nature to me, even though I’d never really used one before.
I’ve learned how to do lots of sales related tasks, such as working the till, barcoding, using the booking system, etc. However I’ve also grown so much in confidence since starting at ReStore. When I first came, I was very shy and nervous, but ReStore has really brought me out of my shell.
With it being quite a new store, I was worried that it might be quite quiet and I may not have a lot to do- but it constantly surprised me! There’s always something that needs done and the store is generally really busy!
Since I volunteer 4 days a week, it’s been great getting to meet all my fellow volunteers. There are so many different personalities and stories to tell, I always look forward to coming to ReStore!
Learning how to deal with customer queries and answering the phone. It’s not something I’ve ever done before, so learning to develop those skills was challenging at first.
One of the other volunteers, Imelda, is so creative and is always telling a funny story to make us laugh. It’s great because if I hadn’t began volunteering in ReStore, we probably would never have met!
I think that building homes for those who don’t have somewhere safe to live is the most important thing we can do. And Habitat is working everyday here and around the world to make sure that everyone has somewhere safe and secure to call home.
