by KYW's Lauren Lipton
This story begins when the Doubletree Hotel, at Broad and Locust Streets, decided to renovate, and had twenty-two floors of gently used hotel room furniture to donate.
Tom Brophy runs the Habitat for Humanity "Re Store" in Chester County, one of a number of Habitat Re Stores in the area:
"What we do is, we take in donated items to sell to the public at a reduced price. And the money that we raise helps build low-income, affordable housing."
The $50,000 worth of furniture given to Habitat for Humanity by the Doubletree Hotel was the largest furniture donation ever to a Habitat in this area:
"We usually get a refrigerator here, or a headboard there, but to get this quantity of merchandise at this quality was tremendous."
Doubletree Hotel general manager Bill Fitzgerald was pleased to help out:
"It was a perfect fit. They provide shelter (and) that's what we do: we provide shelter."
There are many bargains at the Re Stores, now including a lot of former hotel room furniture.
(Fitzgerald:) "The headboards, the artwork, the lamps, the desks, the desk chairs, and the mirrors. These nice credenzas -- with the TVs."
(Brophy:) "An entertainment center all set up, ready to go! We might get $100 all together for it, and you might have to pay $1,000 for a new one in the store. And this doesn't look far from new!"
Not only can you shop at the Re Stores, you can help supply them as well -- they pick up donations.
(Brophy:) "People won't have to toss it in a landfill. Very often they can't put an item in the trash. We'll come get it, load it on our truck, and sell it inexpensively. And everybody wins."
That's Positively Philadelphia!
E-Mail Story
Print Story
