Yard Associate

If you enjoy being active, working with people, and never knowing exactly what the day will bring, volunteering as a **ReStore Yard Associate** could be a great fit.

At Habitat for Humanity VIN, our ReStores are about much more than selling donated goods. Every item donated, purchased, reused, or recycled helps support Habitat’s work toward building safe, decent, and affordable homes in our local communities.

This is a hands-on volunteer opportunity where you’ll be working outdoors to turn community donations into valuable resources. You might be unloading a donation one moment, researching and pricing an unusual item the next, or giving a well-loved item a little TLC before it finds a new home.

What Makes This Opportunity Great?
This role is ideal for someone who likes to stay active, solve problems, and work with their hands.
You’ll help give donated items a second life while reducing waste and keeping useful materials out of the landfill. You’ll also get the satisfaction of knowing that your time and effort are directly contributing to Habitat for Humanity’s mission of helping local families build strength, stability, and independence through affordable homeownership.

What You’ll Be Doing...

As a Yard Associate, you’ll help keep the ReStore yard running smoothly from receiving donations through to getting items ready for customers.

Your day may include:

Receiving donations - Help unload ReStore vehicles and donor deliveries, assess incoming items, and determine the best place for them within the store, yard, receiving area, or recycling stream.

Giving items a second chance - Clean donated items and appliances and make minor repairs where possible to improve their presentation and potential for resale.

Sorting and organizing - Help decide where donated items will have the greatest value, whether that’s the sales floor, yard, processing area, metal recycling, or another appropriate location.

Pricing and merchandising - Research items when needed to help determine accurate pricing, price items before they go into the yard, and make sure everything available for sale is clearly priced.

Keeping the yard fresh - Regularly review yard inventory and identify items that have been there for a while. Help reprice, reorganize, or re-merchandise items to give them a better chance of finding a new home.

Helping customers - Be a welcoming and helpful presence in the yard, answer questions, point customers toward great finds, promote ReStore merchandise, and share the Habitat mission.

Loading purchases - Assist customers with safely loading their purchases into their vehicles.


Who Would Enjoy This Role?

This opportunity is a great match for someone who:
- Enjoys being active and working in a fast-paced environment
- Likes working outdoors and getting their hands dirty
- Is comfortable switching between different tasks throughout the day
- Has good judgment and enjoys solving problems
- Is adaptable, dependable, and willing to pitch in wherever needed
- Takes pride in keeping things organized and looking their best
- Enjoys discovering interesting, unusual, or unexpected items
- Is comfortable with physical work and lifting items up to **50 lbs**

You don’t need to know everything about tools, furniture, building materials, or home improvement to volunteer with us. A willingness to learn, a positive attitude, and a desire to help are just as valuable.