"A world where everyone has a decent place to live..."

March, 2015
Habitat News Tribune
A Message from the Editor
Greetings and best wishes to you all from your humble editor, and welcome to a very special New Richmond ReStore edition of the Habitat News Tribune. In this addition we will be exploring the ins and outs of our ReStore in New Richmond - a vital facet of SCV-Habitat, but one that perhaps hasn't received the amount of attention that it deserves in my newsletter. Well the time has come at long last to give the New Richmond ReStore its day in the sun. So follow me, if you will, as we journey into the fascinating milieu of the New Richmond ReStore.  

Per ardua ad astra.
-John Thompson   
 
New Richmond Spring Donation Drive
Our redoubtable New Richmond ReStore wants your help! With spring just around the corner the time is now for a donation drive. If you have quality new or gently used building materials, furniture, or working appliance please do consider bringing them to the ReStore as a tax deductible donation, or if your donations are too bulky to bring in yourself please call our Donation Pickup Hotline to schedule a pickup. Our ReStores thrive on new inventory, so get a jump start on your spring cleaning and donate today!

901B N. Knowles Ave. 
New Richmond, WI 54017 
Manager Andy Scheiderer's phone: 715-246-4441
Donation Pickup Hotline: 715-690-4984
Two Home Dedication Ceremonies and One Golden Nail Ceremony
On Saturday, April 18 at 10:00 am we are celebrating three joyous and exciting life events for three more Eco Village homeowner-partners. Kim Krupka and Kristen Ward will become the proud owners of houses 13 and 14 of the Eco Village, respectively (236 and 238 S. Apollo Road), and we will have a golden nail ceremony for Charity Purfeerst's future home (house 15 of the Eco Village, 252 S. Apollo Road). 

So if you are in the River Falls area April 18th, please consider joining us at 10:00 am at lots 13-15 of the Eco Village as we celebrate the induction of Kim Krupka and Kristen Ward into the distinguished ranks of St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity homeowners, and the beginning of Charity's wondrous journey to home ownership. Furthermore, since the ceremony will take place on a Saturday you are more than welcome to volunteer after the festivities have been concluded. And as always, thank you to everyone who has had a hand in making these events a reality. 
A Brush With Kindness Season 2
Spring is almost upon us, and with it the second season of A Brush With Kindness. We need your help to make the second season even better than the first. If you or someone you know in Pierce or St. Croix County will be facing a daunting home repair, home maintenance, or landscaping project in the spring please contact Dennis Schmidt for more information or call our office at 715-425-5623.  
Join our FAM Club!
The Fifteen Dollars a Month club is a hassle free and secure way to help fight poverty housing in the St. Croix Valley. Each month, for less than a couple meals at a restaurant, you can help provide a home for a local family in need. With the FAM club, every month 15 dollars (or more, if you choose) will be securely transferred from your bank account to ours to help us cover the cost we incur on our noble mission. To sign up for the FAM club please email our Development Director Susan Capparelli, or contact the office at 715-425-5623 and ask for Susan. We at St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity would like to extend a very heartfelt and humble thank you to all of our donors for your beneficence, it is through your contributions that we may continue our righteous work.
Donate a Vehicle to SCV-Habitat and Help us Build Homes!

Schwan's Fundraiser
Help us build homes through Schwan's! For every purchase, Schwan's will donate 20% in support of our campaign. 
Click here for more information 

Board of Directors
2014-2015

Kelly Cain

President

 

Sarah Bruch
Vice President 

Don Richards
Secretary

Bill Stokes
Treasurer

Directors
Carol Merriman

Peter Kilde

Heather Logelin

Roger Pavlis 

Joel Skinner

Joe Greatens

Maureen Otwell

Bill Richard

Staff
Dennis Schmidt:
Project Specialist
A Brush With Kindness
 
Joel Palmquist:
Construction Manager
 
Debbie Murtha:
Office Manager
 
Amy Henry:
Office Assistant
  
Andy Scheiderer:
ReStore Manager - New Richmond
 
Chris Otten:
Donation Supervisor - New Richmond
 
Jason Dale:
Donation Procurement 
Supervisor
 
Brenda Berner:
ReStore Assistant Manager - New Richmond

Sarah Rose:
ReStore Manager -River Falls

Paul Ritzinger:
Donation Supervisor - River Falls
 
John Thompson:
AmeriCorps VISTA/
E-Newsletter Editor
Happy Early Birthday, New Richmond ReStore!

 

Shortly after I took the reigns of this fair newsletter our greathearted affiliate opened our second ReStore in River Falls. Naturally, our new ReStore received a great deal of attention in the newsletter thereafter, but what of our New Richmond location? What has been happening at our doyen ReStore? Well, as the five year anniversary of ReStore-New Richmond is fast approaching, let us now embark on a journey through time and space to the humble beginnings of our New Richmond ReStore to celebrate its inception and its immeasurable impact on our affiliate and the St. Croix Valley. 

 

Five years ago on April 10th, our New Richmond ReStore came into being. The story of the New Richmond ReStore's genesis is very much the story of three men: Former board president Dave Meyer, former board member Bob Jeffrey, and current ReStore Manager Andy Scheiderer, for it was these three men, more than any other individuals, who not only pushed for the creation of a New Richmond ReStore, but also nurtured and supported the fledgling store in its infancy. The board, Andy Scheiderer recalls, had been bandying about the idea of a ReStore for some time. Bob and Dave were two of its most ardent supporters, and after the decision was made to pursue the ReStore they were also key members of the ReStore Committee, an entity which Andy has described as "super critical" to the ReStore's enduring success.


 

At first glance the New Richmond ReStore seems to be a true Horatio Alger story. At its inception Andy was the ReStore's sole employee, with Bob and Dave putting in Herculean volunteer hours. Three men, rising to greatness and prosperity with nothing but grit, moxie, and bootstraps. But if we take a closer look we will find that, although the ReStore did take the combined effort of these three industrious and dedicated men, and without their sweat and toil it certainly wouldn't have been the smashing success story that it is today, the New Richmond ReStore's success must truly be attributed to the community. The good people of New Richmond and its surrounding communities showed up in droves to donate their goods to our fledgling ReStore, and the volunteer work of St. Lukes Lutheran Church was instrumental in getting the ReStore painted and getting the racking installed.       


 

Over the course of five years much has changed cosmetically to the ReStore (specifically the Bremer Bank grant that allowed for the construction of a new entryway and bathroom and the acquisition of the donation truck comes to mind), but the mentalit� of the store has remained constant throughout: solid, steady growth. Indeed, the ReStore has grown to include a Donations Procurement Supervisor (Jason Dale), an Assistant Manager (Brenda Berner), and a Donations Supervisor (Chris Otten). And in conjunction with the staff, the ReStore family is completed by regular volunteers Randy Feyen and Steve Tillson.

 

Since it's humble beginnings, the New Richmond ReStore has developed into a juggernaut of sales, giving scores and scores of quality donations a second chance at life, whilst raising thousands of dollars for SCV-Habitat every week. If St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity is the 1985 Chicago Bears, then the New Richmond ReStore is Walter Payton. Sure the entire team is stacked - filled with world-class athletes in their prime, but for the engine that drives the machine to greatness look no further than our very own "Sweetness," gracefully stutter-stepping it's way to success and profitability week in and week out. The ever-present defensive line for all non-profits, funding, is consistently juked and jived by our New Richmond ReStore, and we at SCV-Habitat could not be more proud.    

 

So thank you New Richmond ReStore for having such a positive impact on the community, and thank you to the entire St. Croix Valley for helping make our New Richmond ReStore such an unmitigated success. It is through your patronage and donations that yield such incredible results. And those of you who will be in the New Richmond area in May, please consider stopping by our ReStore on the 19th - 23rd, as we will be celebrating our fifth year anniversary amid much pomp and ballyhoo.   

New Facebook Page for New Richmond ReStore
I am pleased to announce that our New Richmond ReStore has a brand new Facebook page! Please feel free to follow this link and peruse the new page and check out all of the latest news, donations, and deals at our lionhearted New Richmond ReStore.
New Richmond ReStore.
Chris Otten in classic Run-DMC b-boy stance.
A candid shot of Brenda Berner.
The one and only Andy Scheiderer, ensconced in his beloved fake plastic trees.
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Another March is upon is, and another St. Patrick's Day has come and gone. St. Patrick's Day has, of course, become a day for commemorating the history and culture of the Irish. The Irish experience in America was a troubled one from the start. In the mid 1800s a variety of factors contributed to the Great Famine in Ireland, which resulted in the deaths of about one million people and forced the immigration of another million. Irish immigrants flocked to America to escape the wretched deprivations of the potato blight, only to find that American society, by and large, viewed them with disdain as an alien and inferior race. In the face of vehement hostility and discrimination the Irish diaspora made lives for themselves in the United States with the hope that one day they too might enjoy in the plenteous bounty of America unencumbered by prejudice and bigotry.

All this history can sometimes become lost in the homogenized simulacrum of Irish culture that has come to typify some contemporary St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and it was with all of this in mind that our ReStore proudly joined in the New Richmond St. Patrick's Day parade -accompanied by your humble editor - to celebrate and commemorate the indelible marks that the Irish have impressed upon our nation and the world.

The parade broke down as such: Chris and I covered the left and right flanks via scooter, Brenda filled in the gaps on foot, and Ol' Papa Bear Scheiderer provided us with plenty of sugary ammunition with the wheelbarrow full of candy. And of course, our six was covered dexterously by Jason in the ReStore truck and trailer. There was much candy to be had, and two lucky kids walked away with the prize of prizes: a bag of Funyuns. Throngs of people lined the streets as if attending a Roman triumph, hoping to catch a glimpse of the majestic floats. Children also came out in staggering numbers, hoping to get their hands on some confectionery sweets. All in all the parade was a fitting and joyous celebration, and I for one was honored to have been a part of it.   
The New Richmond ReStore team plus mystery guest. From left: Chris Otten, Brenda Berner, Jason Dale, mystery guest [editor's note: not my best picture], and Andy Scheiderer. A dream team if there ever was one.
A pre-parade meeting of the minds. Also pictured, candy wheelbarrow.
Maverick (Left), Goose (Right), and the much coveted Funyuns.
Staff of the Month: Jason Dale

The staff of the month this month I believe perfectly encapsulates the zeitgeist of the New Richmond ReStore. Jason is an industrious, unassuming man who day in and day out does his job to the best of his ability. He seeks no praise or recognition, he prefers life outside of the limelight. Instead, Jason Dale superlatively performs his vital tasks every week for the sake of doing a good job for the affiliate, and to "put a smile on someone's face." That, my friends, is the New Richmond ReStore in spades.    

 

And Jason is consistently putting a smile on people's faces as our Donation Procurement Supervisor, traveling the St. Croix Valley in his trusty truck and trailer picking up people's donations. Remarkably it is usually just Jason and a dolly making these runs. Indeed, I can testify firsthand that Jason Dale possesses a near superhuman strength, hefting hundreds of pounds as effortlessly and deftly as one would manipulate a pencil - a modern day Eugen Sandow (though Jason would probably shy from such a comparison).    

 

Not only is Jason a great fit for SCV-Habitat, SCV-Habitat is also a great fit for Jason. "I don't like working for employers who treat you like a number" Jason confided to me one day as we rolled steadily down a lazy Wisconsin back road [not a direct quote, but a pretty close paraphrase]. Indeed, as I can also attest, the personal touch makes working for SCV-Habitat such a perpetual delight.

 

Thank you, Jason Dale, for your understated yet ardent commitment to St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity.  

Volunteer of the Month: Lydia Reardon and the UW-River Falls Habitat  for Humanity Club
St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity is so very fortunate to have a dedicated and able Habitat for Humanity club at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The Habitat club serves as a major ally for our affiliate in a variety of avenues. This month I wanted to feature the Habitat club as our Volunteer of the Month, as they recently performed a masterful painting job at our Eco Village, and they remain one of our staunches and most loyal allies on our quest to eradicate poverty housing in the St. Croix Valley. 

The Habitat club is adroitly presided over by third year Economics and Spanish major Lydia Reardon. Lydia first became involved with the club her freshman year and "quickly found that [she] enjoy[ed] what Habitat stands for, as well as learning how to use power tools, trying new things, and meeting all kinds of new people." 

From there Lydia steadily and decisively climbed up the ranks like Oda Nobunaga after the passing of Hirate Masahide, first to vice president and then to her current position of president. 

The Habitat club performs important volunteer and fundraising functions for SCV-Habitat. Already this year they have volunteered at the Eco Village and the River Falls ReStore, and more such volunteer days are on the way. With the remainder of the spring semester "flying by" in Lydia's parlance, the club hopes to rescue as much quality furniture from the dumpster when the UW-River Falls students move out of the dormitories in May. Such a windfall of donations would certainly be a righteous boon for both our River Falls ReStore and the environment.  

So thank you to Lydia Reardon and the UW-River Falls Habitat for Humanity club. It remains a source of comfort and reassurance to know that we have such a resolute and passionate group in our corner; we now know how Rocky Balboa must have felt during his fight with Ivan Drago.   
Looking to work at SCV-Habitat?
St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity is extremely excited to announce that we have a year-long AmeriCorps VISTA position opening June 8, 2015. Regular readers may remember from a previous issue that VISTA stands for Volunteer in Service to America, which means that it's a volunteer position with a living stipend, some medical benefits, and a 5,645.00 dollar* education award upon completion of service, which can be spent on expenses incurred while attending an institution of higher education, including tuition, student loans, and other expenses related to education.   

The position in question is an outreach/communications specialist. The VISTA will be responsible for developing a systematic method of identifying donor prospects from the faith community, cultivating prospective faith partners, and stewarding faith partnerships. Other responsibilities will include identifying, planning and helping prospect all necessary resources for sponsoring and building an Interfaith or Faith home.

So, if you are an energetic self starter with superlative communication skills looking for rewarding and meaningful work, please consider applying for this marvelous position. As SCV-Habitat's current AmeriCorps VISTA I can say with authority that this organization is absolutely spectacular - working at an amazing cause with amazing people in an amazing community. Could it get any better than that?

If you are interested in this position you can get more information and apply here, on the AmeriCorps website. I highly recommend doing so. You may also direct your questions to our Development Director Susan Capparelli at [email protected] or call 715-425-5623.

*Figure based on current education award levels, may be subject to change.






St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity
116 E. Elm Street
River Falls, WI 54022