At Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area, we believe in offering people and the everyday essentials they rely on a fresh start. Through the Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area ReStore, we work alongside our community to ensure that dignity, stability and hope can take root — starting with the basics and growing toward a safe, stable home.
Supporting People through Habitat Cares
Street outreach and essential supplies
Habitat Cares is a program that helps meet urgent needs for people experiencing homelessness by passing along donations of non-perishable food, socks, underwear, tents, tarps, coats, shoes, clothing, hygiene products, blankets, pet supplies, and camping supplies. These essentials are distributed through local service agencies that provide street outreach and direct support to individuals living without shelter. Together, we build a more compassionate response to life on the streets by making sure that no one is forgotten in the daily struggle to stay warm, fed, and safe.
Partnering with local service agencies
We collaborate with more than 26 local nonprofits along the Wasatch Front — including partners such as The Road Home, Fourth Street Clinic and others — to steward and share donated goods where they are needed most. Several major retailers donate or liquidate their inventory through our ReStore, enabling us to quickly distribute basic necessities to outreach teams and the people they serve. In this way, surplus becomes support, and donated items become lifelines.
Stepping into stable housing
Habitat Cares also walks alongside people who are transitioning out of crisis. Through this program, we address the next stage of recovery by offering home furnishings, household supplies, and volunteer opportunities to individuals moving into stable housing after domestic violence, homelessness, or incarceration. A furnished home — a real bed, a table to gather around, dishes in the cupboard — helps transform an empty unit into a place of safety and belonging. By equipping new homes and fostering community connections, Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area helps people rebuild their lives with dignity and security.
Community, connection, and daytime respite
Because the Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area ReStore is located near downtown Salt Lake City, it offers more than material support. For many, it becomes a place of daytime respite from freezing temperatures and harsh weather. Within this wider network of care, Habitat Cares works to ensure that people experiencing homelessness are not defined only by their crisis, but seen as neighbors whose futures still hold possibility.
Habitat Cares in action
Street outreach to a person experiencing homelessness.
Each year, Habitat Cares program channels more than $500,000 in basic necessities through the Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area ReStore to partner nonprofits that specialize in street outreach and direct services. These shared efforts reflect a simple belief: when we come together to care for one another, we build stronger, healthier communities — and that work starts with a safe place to call home.
Giving Things a New Life
Refurbishing appliances
Instead of sending old washers, dryers, and other appliances to the landfill, neighbors can donate them to the Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area ReStore. Our team refurbishes a wide range of appliances, keeping thousands of tons of reusable material out of local landfills every year. Each item is thoroughly tested, and we offer a 30-day warranty to help families access reliable and affordable options. In this way, we extend the life of useful items while supporting the work of Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area in building homes, communities, and hope.
Building materials
Contractors, vendors, and community partners donate excess building materials and inventory to the ReStore, giving high-quality products a second chance to build, improve, or repair homes. From doors and windows to fixtures and tile — including our famous $20 toilets — these materials help stretch household budgets while keeping thousands of tons of usable goods out of local landfills. Together, we build smarter by reducing waste and increasing access to affordable home improvement supplies.
Free book exchange
A child enjoying the little library.
The ReStore is also home to a free book library filled with novels, encyclopedias, cookbooks, children’s books, and more. Customers may take up to five books per visit, and children are welcome to sit and read while their families shop. Every day, we see kids reading, drawing, and doing homework in this cozy corner. It is a small reminder that restoration is not only about buildings and materials — it is also about imagination, learning, and the sense of possibility that grows when a community comes together.
