The next time you find yourself holding back from volunteering because you think you’re too old, call Carl and Dot.
They’ll set you straight.
And while they’re at it, they might try to sell you a used couch, or ask if you might have a stove you’d like to donate to a worthy cause.
That’s because Carl Spivey and his wife, Dot, volunteer at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Kingsport, something they’ve done for more than 20 years.
No big deal, you say?
Well, try this twist: That means Carl started volunteering at the Holston Habitat for Humanity site before he turned 71.
Yes, Carl is 91 – his birthday was July 4 – but he and Dot are on hand each week at the store sorting, pricing and stocking donated items for sale.
Carl said they love giving back to the community and “seeing families achieve their dreams of becoming homeowners.”
Milburn Lane, ReStore manager and the only paid employee of the store, said, “It is so encouraging to me that individuals like Carl and Dot serve year after year. They have such big hearts.”
Fittingly – or perhaps inevitably – for someone with a July 4 birthday, Carl Spivey served his country in the Army Air Force, flying many missions over war-torn Europe.
The Holston Habitat Restore accepts donations of furniture, appliances, housewares, electronics, and building materials, which are then sold to the public.
The primary mission of the ReStore is to generate revenue for the homebuilding efforts of the Holston Habitat for Humanity affiliate.
In fact, Holston Habitat for Humanity says the store’s proceeds pays for two to three Habitat houses each year for families in Sullivan, Washington and Carter Counties, as well as Bristol, Va.
Since it opened, the store has generated more than $2 million to build nearly 250 Habitat houses.
The Habitat ReStore also aims to divert unnecessary waste from local landfills.
The Holston Habitat ReStore accepts donations of gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, electronics, and building materials which are then processed and sold to the public. Free pick-up is available for large furniture, appliances, and building materials. Clothing is not accepted.
All donations are tax deductible.