Ringling College Students Give Habitat Sarasota ReStore a Makeover

SARASOTA -- Ringling College of Art  and Design will be painting a custom designed mural on the Habitat for Humanity Sarasota Clearance Center store-front on Saturday, August 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The theme of the mural is Blue Print for Success. It will be created by Ringling students Kaitlyn Priestley and Ximena Fernandez, the mural is significant because it captures the ReStore’s ultimate recycling program.

The Sarasota ReStore, located at 2055 17th Street, keeps one million plus pounds of usable products out of the Sarasota landfill every year by cleaning, recycling and re-selling donated goods.  The proceeds generated help build Habitat houses. Items that are not in a condition to be sold are delivered to scrap yards and become scrap metal or are recycled in some other manner.
 
The Ringling students will also be re-painting the exterior of Habitat’s Royal Palm Apartments, located at 928 Royal Palm Ave., on Saturday.
 
Habitat for Humanity ReStore Sarasota includes over 57,000 square feet of donated items that are sold to the public at affordable prices.
 
Stores sell a variety of merchandise including, but not limited to: building materials, flooring, tile, lighting fixtures, furniture, appliances, artwork , antiques , electronics, tools and hardware, plumbing supplies and lawn and garden items. They sell just about everything, including the kitchen sink. It is a place to find a replacement item that may need a "vintage" touch. They also carry brand new items donated from store overstocks, manufacturers, builders, and people in the community.

The Restore opened in 2003 to help fund the construction of affordable Habitat homes for Sarasota's low income residents. The store has a small number of employees, and relies largely on the help of volunteers, who assist in all areas of the store.
 
The Clearance Center is where furniture that won’t fit in the ReStore is sent.

Both stores are environmentally friendly businesses. Supporting the ReStore helps sustain the local environment and helps provide housing for working families in Sarasota.