After Rick retired, he was seeking out volunteering opportunities when his sister-in-law, who volunteered in Marin County, recommended Habitat for Humanity housing builds.
Rick began volunteering routinely at Habitat’s Martinez build site until he was advised by his doctor that it was too risky, per a recent back surgery. As a long-time fan of Habitat’s mission, Rick wanted to keep contributing his time to support affordable housing. So, when he heard about a volunteer role at ReStore’s new Concord location, he was quick to join the team.
After helping on the sales floor for the first few months, a new opportunity came along. ReStore Concord’s Manager was looking for someone with the right professional background to test out a new marketing tool: Craigslist.org. Rick’s career in business operations made him a good fit for the role. He set about creating a coding system and other processes to keep ReStore’s posts consistent and up to date. Rick’s copywriting, photography, and organizational skills make for an effective, one-man merchandising machine.
Rick comes in 3-4 times a week to create new posts, update posts when pricing changes, mark items sold, and answer questions about posts via email and over the phone. His system keeps the posts accurate and demonstrates a successful track record of success using Craiglist for advertising ReStore’s products. Since Rick started, he has posted over 3,500 items on Craigslist, with an average sales rate of more than 75%.
These posts have brought in many new and returning customers eager to see what’s at ReStore from the comfort of home. ReStore Concord Manager Justin Barron believes Rick is responsible for more than half of all new customers who come into the store.
So, thank you Rick! We appreciate all the time, effort and expertise you’ve used to reach new supporters for the Habitat cause!
If you’re interested in volunteering at our ReStores in Concord, Oakland, or San Jose, you can learn more about what we do here.