A 'second life' for Habitat ReStore worker

Photo by Kelly Lambert


Jennifer L. Johnson | news@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 12:20 am on 10/29/2009

A chair with a broken seat, another missing a leg and a cradle with splintered wood held together by metal clamps take up most of the space on Lee Green's work bench.

He pushes aside sandpaper, a can of varnish, nails and bits of broken molding to reach the wood glue he needs to fix the latest project he's working on.

It's Green's own little slice of heaven.

"I wake up just to come here in the morning," said Green, 56. "This is an awesome job, because it's right down my alley."

Green began working at ReStore, the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity's thrift store, three months ago thanks to an Athens Community Council on Aging program that places older people at nonprofits and government agencies to be trained for new jobs.

The program is open to citizens 55 and older, though its funding stipulates that the program give first consideration to veterans and the disabled.

Green had a stroke in 2006.

"It all fit together perfectly," said Michelle Brinson, the director of the Senior Community Service Employment Program. Because the program aims to place older workers in "green" jobs that match a client's work history, skills and interests, Brinson thought Habitat's ReStore was the perfect place for Green.

Green uses building materials like scrap wood to fix broken pieces of furniture that will sell at up to 90 percent of their retail value.

"I normally try not to spend too much time on one piece," Green said. "I only work four hours a day. If it's real bad, I just say, 'Hey, I'll use this piece to fix something else.' "

The thrift store kept 150 tons of reusable material out of landfills last year, according to Spencer Frye, Athens Area Habitat for Humanity executive director.

ReStore accepts a variety of donations, from books and clothes to furniture and building materials.

"It's a place where the community can donate lots of things and also buy items that might otherwise be in a landfill," Frye said. "A lot of our customers are low-income clientele, so it kind of provides a dual service to the community that we're trying to help."

ReStore is good for two reasons - it helps keep useable items out of the landfill, while making money for Habitat - and Green's work helps both of those goals.

Green's work allows ReStore to accept more items - things that are used to the point that they need a little work to be valuable again - and make already useful items more attractive for sale at the 12,000-square-foot warehouse on Barber Street, according to Frye.

Green moved to Athens at 20, when the Job Corps sent him here to help build the University of Georgia's library. He later worked installing custom cabinets at Athens Lumber Co. He now uses those skills every day.

"Mr. Green - even though he's elderly - has got a lot to give to the community," Frye said. "He has transformed the way that store operates."

Each of the pieces of furniture that Green has worked on sport a bright green tag that lets people know the furniture has been repaired. They even bear his name.

"With the tags, we can show the board of directors how much Mr. Green saved from the landfills and how much money he generated for Habitat projects," Frye said.

Green is hoping those numbers will help him secure a permanent place at ReStore.

"I love it here," he said. "I'm tickled to death every day that I get to give things a second life like I have."

ReStore is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. To learn more about the Senior Community Service Employment Program, visit the Web site www.accaging.org.



This story was published with a wonderful photo slide-show narrated by Mr. Green. Watch it at: http://multimedia.onlineathens.com/flash/2009/102909_MrLeeGreen/