HELLERTOWN, Pa. — The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted the official ribbon cutting for the Habitat for Humanity Lehigh Valley’s latest ReStore location Thursday night, commemorating a community effort which will continue to provide for those in need throughout the area.
Following months of intensive rehabilitation work on the property at 38 Main Street in Hellertown, guests got a chance to take a peek inside the new store about a week ahead of its grand opening, all the while celebrating a new method to provide vital assistance to those in need.
Perusing the interior of the store, one could easily mistake it for any number of home improvement stores — only with more options, cheaper prices, and proceeds going toward helping community members with home repairs.
“Our restore locations in Whitehall and now Hellertown generate funds through the purchase of gently used and new products, and all of those funds generated here at the location funnel right back into the program to build and repair more homes."Habitat for Humanity Lehigh Valley Communications and Grant Manager Gina Loiacono
The vast sprawl as one enters the doors showcases a wide breadth of merchandise, from pillows to china sets to construction equipment to high-end furniture to children’s toys, and just about everything in between.
Ringing the walls are displays of paint, carpeting, sinks, and so much more. And those shelves are bound to change constantly after the store opens its doors to the public on Oct. 30.
It’s a veritable gold mine for those looking to spruce up their home while enjoying substantial savings and providing funding to help their neighbors in need.
The road to ReStore
Habitat Lehigh Valley Communications and Grant Manager Gina Loiacono said the rehabilitation of the space which is now occupied by ReStore “took quite a bit of work.”
When the property was purchased in April 2024, “it was kind of a mess,” she said.
“The property had been left uninhabited for about four or five years after the pandemic, and when we came in, we had to completely redo this whole building. We had to kick out a family of badgers and a couple of raccoons. We had to call in a biohazard team to get rid of them.” Loiacono said.
“So we completely gutted the building, put in a brand new HVAC system, we painted everything, we filled in the rafted ceiling, we put in the drop ceiling, and we're super excited because the work was tremendous. It was really overwhelming. But everyone pitched in, and I'm so proud of our team, they are phenomenal.”
ReStore is just one element of the Habitat Lehigh Valley system which serves Lehigh and Northampton counties.
“Our restore locations in Whitehall and now Hellertown generate funds through the purchase of gently used and new products, and all of those funds generated here at the location funnel right back into the program to build and repair more homes,” Loiacono said.
Habitat Lehigh Valley Director of Operations Allison Ingram said an influx of funding for Habitat couldn’t come at a better time.
“In terms of importance to the community, it really pays back the community and supports the community by supporting the members in need of safe, affordable housing and also critical home repairs,” Ingram said, adding there have been a large influx of critical home repair requests for Habitat.
“We're seeing a lot of seniors who need to age in place and maybe need ramps or bathrooms on the main floor. We worked with veterans as well who are in need of safe and affordable housing. So really, this right here supports our mission of building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter, and also supports that critical home repair piece of things. So this community is supporting us, and in turn, we're giving back to the community.”
Ingram said one of the best things about ReStores is that they are “unrestricted income, which means we can use [funds from ReStore] for any project we need within our community.”
“So all the money raised here locally stays locally in our communities and supports those families and individuals,” Ingram said.
Celebrating volunteers, and bringing hope
Before the ribbon cutting, Vice President of Major Events at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Paige Nicholas celebrated the efforts of volunteers, Habitat for Humanity, and local groups and officials for bringing the project to fruition.
Hellertown Mayor David J. Heintzelman made note of several signs throughout the store, reading “build stability,” “build strength,” and other mottos, before suggesting an addition.
“As far as signage, I'd like to add one: ‘building hope,’ because not everyone has what maybe someone else does not want, or whatever. But the words ‘Habitat for Humanity’ bring hope, and we need more of that hope, especially in our economic climate that we have right now. And I am so proud to be here today, to be a part of this reopening of this area,” Heintzelman said.
“We want to continue to serve the community at the highest capacity we can, and this is how we do it, is by continuing to grow."Jess Elliott
Habitat Lehigh Valley Executive Director Jess Elliott thanked the incredible efforts of volunteers and other supporters, especially those with expertise in construction who have helped with over 100 home repair projects throughout the community in the last year and a half.
“We want to continue to serve the community at the highest capacity we can, and this is how we do it, is by continuing to grow. So thank you guys so much for being here,” Elliott said.
So if you have some time and a few bucks to spare, swing by ReStore sometime next week. There’s no guarantee to what you’ll find, but at the very least, you’re bound to pick up something interesting.
Plus, you’ll be supporting the community.
“It's just important for people to know that shopping here, donating here, is helping people. Every dollar spent, every donation made, builds more homes. It builds communities, and it helps families build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter,” Loiacono said.
