Habitat for Humanity helps students furnish their homes in August with savings on appliances and furniture.
For the second year in a row, Habitat ReStores is hosting student discount days. Students can receive 20% off certain items by presenting their student ID.
“When we first went through the program, we realized this was an opportunity for students that we hadn’t seen before,” said Jorja Hall, partnership coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Halton, Mississauga, Dufferin. “There are affordable couches, chairs, appliances, things that we needed. We went through and said, I wish I had known about this when I moved into my dorm.”
The initiative is being brought to you by former Canada Summer Job students, a federal government program that funds jobs to create summer employment opportunities for students.
In total, Habitat for Humanity Halton, Mississauga, Dufferin employs 14 students through the program. Other team members who have taken on the student discount days include Database and Research Coordinator Javian Gapasin, Government and PR Coordinator Andrew Ortega, and Events and Research Coordinator Rachel Yao.
“We’ve distributed them throughout our various locations,” said Jackie Isada, vice president of strategic partnerships and public relations. “As the name suggests, we have stores in Halton, Mississauga and Dufferin, as well as Orangeville. Our flagship store is in Burlington, but we have students at all of our locations.”
Parents are often more enthusiastic about the offers than students, since refurbished sofas can be had for as little as $300. By comparison, the cheapest sofa (not a two-seater) at IKEA costs from $400.
Non-students can also benefit from the sales boom, as stores offer certain items every week.
“From August 12th to 18th, all sofas will be 30 percent off,” said Isada. “The following week, chairs will be 30 percent off.”
Last year’s event lasted only a week, but was so successful that staff knew it had to be extended to a month.
“We wanted to expand as much as possible with others in the organization,” Hall said. “We’ve had people from other teams wanting to learn more and get involved. They’re sharing their ideas and it’s great to see something we had as a little idea last summer grow and become kind of a cornerstone.”
This is Hall’s second year with Habitat for Humanity while studying marketing at the University of Guelph.
She said the experience she is gaining at Habitat will help her in her studies and, she hopes, beyond.
“I had worked other jobs before, and when I looked back at what I had done over the summer, I didn’t have much to show for it,” Hall said. “That changed when I started working at Habitat for Humanity, and I’m proud to be able to do that work again.”
