Treasures await, DIYers, Fixer Uppers and bargain shoppers

Puyallup, WASH. – From couches to cabinets and hammers to household items, the new Habitat Store in downtown Puyallup will be stocked full of gently used and new merchandise, all offered at deep discounts. Located in Valley Plaza at 1329 E. Main Street, the store will open on July 8 at 9 a.m.

“Like our other two stores in Tacoma and Lakewood, this new store is a bargain hunters’ paradise,” says Ed Dopp, director or retail operations. “It’s also located in the heart of Puyallup, convenient to downtown and South Hill residents and easily accessible to the nearby communities of Sumner and Bonney Lake.

Operated by Habitat for Humanity of Tacoma-Pierce County, the 11,500 square foot Puyallup location serves two important purposes, according to Maureen Fife, CEO of the local affiliate.

“We exist to help make sure everyone has a safe, decent and affordable place to live,” she explains. “That’s a tall order and it’s getting harder and harder to do. Profits from our stores help fund what donors, homebuyer sweat equity and the government cannot possibly do – buy more land and build more houses.”

Habitat stores also help homeowners, landlords, property managers and others find affordable materials and save thousands of pounds of useable items from going to area landfills each year.

The Puyallup store will carry merchandise similar to other Habitat stores in Pierce County, including:

• Tools, including hand tools and working power tools
• Appliances, from nearly new to still working refrigerators, freezers, stoves and more
• Furniture, including tables, chairs, couches and more
• Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and sinks
• Doors, doors and more doors
• Household items such as artwork, mirrors and décor

The opening of the Puyallup Habitat Store will be celebrated with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by the Puyallup-Sumner Chamber of Commerce on July 7, beginning at noon.

Store hours of operation will be Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. When fully operational, 15 regular volunteers and five employees will staff the Puyallup location. It’s expected to generate about $400,000 in sales during the first year of operation.

For information or to donate gently used merchandise or fully operational tools or appliances, call 253.779.8149.

Founded in 1985, Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat has built 230 homes in partnership with low income families in need. As a result, over 1,000 people now have a simple, decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat is truly “a hand up, not a hand out.” Habitat families must commit to working up to 500 “sweat equity” hours on construction of Habitat homes or on other Habitat projects such as volunteering at retail stores. Additionally, more than 3,000 volunteers work with Habitat, lowering the cost of construction and making Habitat one of the most affordable housing programs.

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