The Kemptville ReStore is a retail outlet run by Habitat for Humanity Thousand Islands, an affordable housing charity serving North Grenville and the surrounding Leeds and Grenville region of eastern Ontario. Rather than selling new merchandise brought in from wholesalers, the ReStore relies entirely on donated goods from area residents, contractors and businesses, then resells those items to the public at reduced prices. The floor typically includes building supplies such as lumber, doors, windows, flooring, cabinetry and hardware alongside furniture, appliances and household goods, making it a first stop for renovators, landlords and homeowners looking to save money while diverting still-useful materials away from the landfill.
Every dollar spent at the Kemptville location supports the parent organization’s core mission, described plainly on its own website as envisioning a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat for Humanity Thousand Islands operates two ReStore locations across its service area, with a sister store in Brockville, and proceeds from both help fund the construction and renovation of affordable homes for local families who partner with the organization through sweat equity and affordable mortgages rather than receiving a handout. Recent building work by the affiliate includes the completed Kemptville Korners project, a fifteen unit condominium development in North Grenville, along with an ongoing multi-unit build known as Lockett Place in nearby Prescott, both examples of how ReStore proceeds translate directly into finished housing for the community.
Volunteers form the backbone of daily operations at the Kemptville ReStore, handling everything from testing donated electronics and small appliances before they reach the sales floor, to merchandising the store, to working the cash register and helping customers load larger purchases. Both regular weekly volunteers and occasional helpers are welcomed, and the organization frames volunteering as a way for community members to contribute directly to the housing mission even if they are not in a position to donate goods or cash. Donation pickups and drop-offs are coordinated through the organization, and the ReStore accepts gently used furniture, working appliances, and surplus building materials from renovation projects throughout the region.
For anyone in North Grenville furnishing a first home, tackling a renovation on a budget, or simply looking to shop secondhand with a clear community purpose, the Kemptville ReStore combines practical, affordably priced building materials and furniture with a direct funding line to local affordable housing construction. Shoppers can reach the organization by phone or email for current inventory questions, donation arrangements or volunteer opportunities. Because both the Kemptville and Brockville stores draw from the same regional donor base, the selection of doors, cabinetry, flooring and furniture changes constantly, rewarding renovators who check in often rather than expecting a fixed inventory. In short, the Kemptville ReStore is Habitat for Humanity Thousand Islands’ own thrift and salvage retail arm, where every purchase of used furniture, appliances or building supplies helps build a new affordable home somewhere else in eastern Ontario.
