Posted September 28, 2024

By ALLEN MINCEY

The autumn leaves have started falling and the smell of pumpkin spice is in the air, but that doesn’t mean the Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore isn’t looking ahead to hot chocolate, tinsel and Christmas.

Having just celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special sale, prize drawings and food trucks in the parking lot, one might think a break would be warranted. But, Deborah Flower, coordinator of the Christmas section of the ReStore, was actually preparing for the holiday as the celebration was happening.

That included a group of Lee University students who helped with Christmas tree assembly and decoration on Sept. 20. Jackson LeRoy and Noah Blue, both of Theta Delta Kappa, and Lauren Miller and Hannah Brooks, Omega Alpha Phi sisters, were the first of several volunteers who helped Flower.

Flower and her husband David are Habitat Heroes, and annually gather a group of volunteers to decorate Christmas trees and set up displays at “The Christmas Shoppe.” Flower, a retired kindergarten teacher, is a volunteer herself, and is not just a seasonal job fo her.

“I have done this since 2010 and I am known as ‘the Christmas Lady,’ though ‘Holiday Lady’ is probably more appropriate as I am in charge of every holiday that comes down the pike,” Flower told the Banner in a previous interview.

While the students helped with assembling trees last Friday, they will not be the only holiday items the Habitat ReStore will have available. There will also be Christmas wreaths, linens, clothes, knick-knacks, yard art, candles, china and glassware.

All of the items for sale have been donated to Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland to help in raising funds for the organization’s home building projects, and each year, staff and customers, and volunteers, look forward to the holiday.

“Everyone has the opportunity to give a ‘hands up’ for hope in our community by using their skills through such volunteer efforts,” Flower said. “All proceeds are put toward a house for a deserving home owner.”

“Deb’s Christmas Shoppe,” Flower said, “brings in people who would not normally come to the ReStore, as they can find Christmas decorations cheaper here than in other stores.” It also give those shoppers an idea of the other bargains at the ReStore.

For more information about the Christmas items available, and about the ReStore, call 423-473-4610. To find out more about Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland, visit the website at www.habitatofcleveland.org.