Meet Lee Anne, our ReStore Manager! Lee Anne runs the ReStore, a thrift store that provides a year-round fundraiser to further our mission. You’ll often find her on the floor helping customers or at the register most days. She’s a key part of our organization, and we’re glad to share more about her.
Do you drink Coffee or Tea?
Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening. I prefer both to be iced most of the year, except when the weather is really, really cold outside.
How did you hear about or get involved in Habitat for Humanity?
My grandparents were involved in the Work Project Administration Cherry Lake Florida Homesteading Project in the 30s. They took me with them to meet Jimmy Carter when he was running for president in 1976 because they really respected his involvement in sustainable and affordable living, including his Habitat for Humanity support. Obviously, at that age, I didn’t really understand who he was, or what he stood for, but I remember that we pulled peanuts from the ground with him at his farm in Georgia.
Wow what a story! This was part of the New Deal?
Yes! And I was a part of the summer camp at the 4-H camp! I won my first swimming competition there. When I was older, my father and uncle were contractors and volunteered on several build sites in Tallahassee in the 80s and 90s.
And then of course, when I applied for this job in late 2020. Since then, I’ve learned so much about Habitat for Humanity, and gained so much more respect for its impact towards affordable home ownership. I knew it was a great organization as a general concept, but now, I wake up every morning excited to work with the staff and volunteers toward meeting that goal
Many of our volunteers and staff seem to have hidden talents. Any you’d like to tell us about?
Food and nature are my two favorite topics, I LOVE clean jokes and know a lot of them, I once hula hooped while singing for three straight hours, and in the summers, I try to offer free swim lessons to aquaphobes of all ages if they have access to a pool in the area.
What is your background?
I grew up in Florida (all over), and the majority of my family experiences were around agriculture, nature preservation, and social justice. I went to Florida State University for a BA in Creative Writing, and then moved to Manhattan. When I didn’t become a famous novelist, I moved to the Hudson Valley and went to SUNY New Paltz for a BA in Women’s Studies. I worked a lot of different small jobs in my early 20s and 30s, but my professional background has almost always been in the non-profit sector, starting with affordable swim lessons, then childcare and camp programs at the Ulster County YMCA, then urban farming/food security, and now housing justice.
What is the best part of the day?
I have so many best parts of my day. I LOVE when people are super excited that they found exactly what they have been looking for. I love it when people are overjoyed with the things they found that they weren’t looking for. I love when people round up their change and when they thank us for the work we do.
And I love working with all of our volunteers and staff because we have what feels like a supportive tight-knit family that enjoys each other’s company. Many days, all of us have lunch together. And then, of course, there are the open house collaborations with Kingston Design Connection, and finally the home dedications which are essentially the best house warmings one can ever attend! Each dedication is the true best part of my job.
Is there any advice you’d want to share with everyone?
Remember that Ulster County Habitat for Humanity’s main mission is to build safe and affordable housing, and building a house is expensive. Ulster Habitat ReStore is just a small part of our fundraising activities to help offset the costs, but it’s an important one. Every dollar someone spends, and every item donated for us to sell counts.
Additionally, it’s always a great idea to check out our website to see what we can take and what we can’t. Where possible, we provide other organizations that might take certain items that we can’t for a variety of reasons.
Lastly, it’s a misconception that our houses are free. All of our partner families purchase their homes and put in many hours through our sweat equity program. All of our family recipients are part of our local workforce, and contribute to our local economy and people that provide us with our day-to-day services. They might be the manager at your favorite grocery store, they might be an educator in your local school district, they may serve you coffee every morning.