The New Orleans Habitat ReStore is accepting donations of furniture and building materials from local film and television sites.
“Our customers love it,” said Wesley Griffin, New Orleans Habitat ReStore Director. “Even when it’s raw, used building materials, there’s an added sense of glamour to it. They’re buying memorabilia that’s going to be used in their homes.”
The New Orleans Habitat ReStore offers a free pickup service to all donations of materials, and most donations are tax deductible. The store accepts building materials and furniture, including plywood and
other lumber, doors, windows, flooring, set décor, lighting, and appliances. Materials are then sold to the public at significant discounts, with all proceeds going to support NOAHH’s mission.
In recent years, the Louisiana state government and the city of New Orleans have facilitated filming in the greater New Orleans area. Shows and films such as Treme, Two Gun, True Detective, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and Django Unchained have filmed in the region, and after their filming completed, chose ReStore to which to donate set materials, lowering the costs of waste removal and keeping usable materials out of the landfill.
Since 2013, ReStore has diverted 1.25 million pounds of materials from landfills. The New Orleans Habitat ReStore opened in 2003 and has been an integral part of NOAHH’s program. Partner families serve 100 hours of their sweat equity in the ReStore before working on homes in progress. It has hosted three art shows for local students, as well as an electronics recycling drive, the Krewe de Vieux ball, and other events.