Habitat ReStore Stories

Before coming to Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, Corinna was in the field of insurance for 11 years, worked as an events coordinator, and managed restaurants. “Habitat for Humanity is a beloved nonprofit in Omaha and when I had the opportunity to join this team 7 months ago, I jumped on it!” Corinna says. Born and raised in Omaha, she lived in Lincoln for several years as well.

Sheldon Armstrong has a variety of interests and is eager to discuss anything from sports to current events and, if he can’t make himself understood, often resorts to writing notes to get his point across. “Sheldon is a wonderful young man and he can talk for hours about what he’s seen on History Channel,” says Teacher Leader Amber Tjaden with a smile. He’s one of a group of volunteers at Omaha’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore from the Omaha Public Schools Transition Program.

You never know where a simple question might lead. One day, Habitat ReStore staff member Mark was helping a customer, Rebecca, load a cart full of light fixtures into her car. Curious, he asked about her plan for the lights. She explained that it was a hobby of hers to repurpose old chandeliers and other fixtures into solar lights for her garden. Later, she told us more about how it all started.

Joe Campagna has been volunteering with Omaha’s Habitat ReStore for more than four years now. He found Habitat ReStore through the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC), a service organization that helps match the talents of volunteers (who are usually 50+ years old) with the needs of a local nonprofit.