ReStore Ridealong

ReStore Ridealong: Meet a Chesapeake ReStore Driver!

Have you ever wondered how a ReStore donation pickup works?

Thanks to the incredible Habitat Chesapeake ReStore staff, individuals can donate new and gently-used furniture and home goods right from their doorstep by scheduling a donation pickup.

ReStore donation specialists, like Darien and Shawn, make the process as simple as possible for donors while giving new life and new homes to your items. Darien joined the ReStore only a few months ago, and is already an expert in donation pickups, while Shawn has been behind the wheel for the ReStores for almost two years. Previously, he was a driver for a window company and traveled all along the east coast, eventually settling in Columbia. He has 3 kids and is expecting his first grandchild this year.

The best part about working at the Halethorpe ReStore? According to them, it’s the people.

“When you’ve got a job working with these people, it motivates you to work, because you work in a good atmosphere with good people and for a good cause,” says Darien.

A typical day starts bright and early, when drivers are assigned their pickup locations and routes. Drivers will arrive at the pickup, load and secure items, and deliver them back to the ReStore for reselling, where 100% of the profits help fund Habitat Chesapeake’s programs.

“There’s so much chaos in the world. It really makes me think, this is a good cause, and these are good people driving this thing.”

n one particular Friday morning, Shawn and Darien set out to Catonsville for two morning pickups. Their first pickup was a beautiful chest of drawers, offered by an individual who previously donated parts of their kitchen during renovations. Thanks to the Salvage Service, individuals who are renovating or remodeling their homes can now partner with the ReStore to remove and donate home materials.

After wrapping up their first pickup for the day, the drivers immediately select their route for their next location. A donor in Catonsville has an entire dining room set, complete with table, chairs, and China cabinet. Long-loved items like this often have fond memories attached to them; this donor remembered how she bought this beautiful set when her eldest daughter was only a toddler and they had only just moved into their home. Decades later, her daughter has grown up and moved on, so it’s a bittersweet moment to make way for new items and say goodbye to the old.

“I feel good letting this piece go, knowing that hopefully someone else will get so much out of it,” said the donor.

That’s what the ReStores are all about: making something new out of something old. Habitat Chesapeake does the same by renovating and rebuilding homes alongside communities that will cherish them.

“There’s so much chaos in the world. It feels good to see that there’s still good out there,” says Darien. “It really makes me think, this is a good cause, and these are good people driving this thing.”

That drive is what keeps Habitat Chesapeake going. Thank you again to our ReStore donors and shoppers, and don’t forget to thank your donation truck driver!

Visit chesapeakerestore.org to schedule a donation pickup or check out one of our 6 ReStores!

About Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake

Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake (www.habitatchesapeake.org) brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Since 1982, Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake has built more than 780 homes in 19 communities, providing a brighter future for 2,700 children and family members. Homeownership is proven to transform lives – improving health, increasing children’s chances of academic success and offering an opportunity to build wealth across generations. Likewise, homeownership enhances neighborhoods by bringing tangible investment, engaged, long-term residents, rising property values and a sense of community.