Terry Dee became involved with Habitat in stages. It began when he was employed at The Home Depot and worked on some projects sponsored by the company. He enjoyed hammering nails alongside his associates on his day off.

“It was fun to be working with my comrades in some remote area,” Terry said.

When he went to his first home dedication, he met the family who was receiving that home and saw the impact the house had on their lives. This gave him insight into a whole new aspect of Habitat. Before long, he was teaching classes for homeowners on basic skills such as plumbing and electrical repair.

Next he joined the committee to help open the HabiStore and was asked to be the director of the store. This introduced him to an entrepreneurial aspect of the organization. After discussing the decision with his wife, Terry resigned from The Home Depot and accepted the position. He hasn’t looked back since.

“The original idea was to open a store, accept donations and use the proceeds to build more Habitat houses,” Terry recalls, “But so many other things have happened since.”

For instance, the Habistore has diverted 200 tons of material from the landfill in one year alone.  In partnership with the Tucson School District, students volunteer at the Habistore for a few hours a week. Some of the students are mentally or physically challenged and are accompanied by their life coach.

“They’ll come in a van with their teacher and help to sweep the floor, but it’s so much more than just sweeping the floor.” Terry said.  He sees how the interaction and the break from the classroom makes a difference in the students’ lives.  “The store has become a lot more than just selling sofas.”

By Sierra Russell