What’s one of the hottest trends on Pinterest, on TV and in conversation? Repurposing. Everything from furniture to craft items to architectural scraps can be remade and repurposed into something new. (By now, you probably know someone who is making couches out of duct tape and coat hangers and selling them on Etsy)

Repurposing is certainly environmentally friendly and socially responsible. It’s also, in its essence, the premise behind the St. Joseph Habitat for Humanity ReStore – and with garage sale and flea market season in full swing, it’s the place where gently used stuff gets new life.

Like its name, the “ReStore” is in the business of restoring items like furniture, hardware, paint and even some construction piece to new life with new owners. On a deeper level, customers who shop the ReStore know they’re finding a needed item to restart their own home project at a great price, and they’re helping keep items out of dumps or landfills that still have plenty of life left. Everybody wins.

The store models several national Habitat ReStores, in that community members, builders and contractors can donate their scrap or unneeded items. Volunteers and staff price them and sell them, but at bargain-conscious prices. Revenues can be returned to the community by helping support Habitat projects.

This month, the ReStore is partnering with the St. Joseph Regional Association of Realtors for a garage sale event, complete with a food truck and lots of realtors’ items for sale. It’s part of a week-long celebration of the store’s third year in business, and working together to boost the event and the brand of Habitat with local realtors is a smart move (pun intended). Not only can Habitat work within realtors’ social media channels to share their message, but they are reaching out to a group of brand champions who can tell clients who are moving out or moving in about the ReStore. They’re hitting an audience target that can continue to expand throughout the year, and that’s a sweet spot to be in.

Projects at the ReStore line up nicely with the ongoing outreach and volunteer coordination from Habitat for Humanity, including home build events for women and other specific groups. Photos and videos online are engaging and full of energy, which helps create a stronger brand perception for Habitat.

This week, Susan J. Campbell Copywriting thanks the ReStore for three years of great repurposing and creative energy. In many ways, we’re also in the business of repurposing – we help businesses repurpose brand messages to give them new life with target audiences. If your brand story needs a fresh start, give us a call today.