As part of ongoing renovations, the Touchstone Resort team found themselves with about $10,000 of gently used decor and furniture on hand, so they decided to support local affordable housing by donating it all to Habitat for Humanity.
Cindy Makepeace, general manager of Touchstone Resort, said they’re working on refurbishing 32 units, leaving an array of items such as lamps, art, rugs, dining sets and more to be donated. Eight truckloads of the items, which are about 12 years old, were picked up by the ReStore team on Jan. 11 and 12. The donations will be sold at the Bracebridge ReStore and distributed to other stores in Huntsville, Orillia, Midland or Sudbury if necessary. Makepeace said they decided to donate to Habitat for Humanity because it helps Muskoka families build a foundation for their future.
“Touchstone Resort chose Habitat because we know supporting our local ReStore helps to build residences for local families in need of safe, affordable and accessible housing,” she said. “We believe that giving and making a difference in the community is one of the most powerful aspects of being a business owner.”
Douglas Cake, manager of the Bracebridge ReStore, said donations like this play a huge role in allowing Habitat to build more homes. All profits from the donated items will go toward Habitat’s efforts to build accessible, affordable apartments and houses in the area.
“We broke ground on Bala last year,” Cake said. “We got the house closed in in the winter, and they’re finishing the interior fixtures now. Then we move on to our building in Gravenhurst this year, so that money is really important to building homes for families.”
Cake said it’s been great working with the team at Touchstone, and it’s incredible to see how much they believe in Habitat’s mission. Support like this goes a long way, he said, so he wants to thank Facility Maintenance Manager Mike Tripp and the rest of the staff at Touchstone for their time and effort.
“The community support is huge,” Cake said. “We couldn’t do it without them, that’s for sure.”
To learn more about Habitat for Humanity and the work they do, visit the local chapter’s website. Scroll through the gallery below to see some of the donated items.
