At Habitat Halton-Mississauga, we’re always looking for ways to be innovative. That’s why we opened our ReVive Centre two years ago. ReVive is Habitat HM’s exclusive upcycling centre, where we take would-be trash and turn it into DIY-ed treasure. Take a peek into our ReVive Centre to find out why it’s been thriving ever since its doors first opened.
What’s the ReVive Centre?
At ReVive, we think of things differently. What you might look at as an item that only a garbage collector would be happy to see, is an item that we can’t wait to get our hands on.
Within the consumerist society we live in, we’re so accustomed to the conventional lifecycle of an item: we buy it, keep it around until we get tired of it, throw it to the curb and move onto the next item.
With our ReVive Centre, we hope to challenge this mindset. Inside our workshop, every old item has a promising fate. By the time we’re done with them, you would never guess that they were once considered trash.
Along with ReViving items that are looking a little worse for wear, we also build new pieces, using recycled and donated materials. Even a leftover 2×4 from a Habitat build site will be given a second chance with our centre. Whether it be transformed into a shelving unit, a candle holder, a wine rack or rustic décor, its journey doesn’t end in the dump.
We also use locally sourced materials like live-edge wood to create stunning and unique pieces. By using recycled lumber, we’re able to help reduce our community’s carbon footprint.
What programs does ReVive offer?
Volunteering
Volunteering with the ReVive Centre gives you an opportunity to learn some incredible skills and techniques, so even if you’re walking in a tool novice, you’ll walk out a DIY expert.
Items created by our volunteers are sold through our ReStores, so you can have the satisfaction of knowing that your work is directly contributing to the expansion of affordable housing in our neighbourhood.
Team builds
Whether you’re a corporate team or simply a group of friends, join us in the ReVive Centre for a fun-filled day of team and skill-building. You’ll be given the opportunity to either upcycle an outdated item or create an entirely new one, made with your own two hands (and the help of some power tools).
DIY workshops… coming soon!
With countless stunning projects coming out of the ReVive Centre, we heard one question more than any other, “How can I learn to do that?”
Introducing: ReVive DIY workshops. Scheduled to roll out later this summer or early fall, these workshops are ideal for anyone itching to know what it takes to master the skill of DIY. Even if you’ve yet to dabble in the art, this is the perfect place to start.
Why ReVive?
Ontario disposal sites received a total of 8.13 million tonnes of waste in 2017. This doesn’t account for the 3.5 million tonnes exported annually to the United States.
Based on these figures, our province’s disposal depots are expected to reach capacity by 2032. That’s only 14 years away.
To Habitat HMD, this trend is extremely troubling. We pride ourselves on our commitment to placing environmental considerations at the forefront of everything we do.
Our ReStores give donated items a new home with local families, diverting more than 5.3 million pounds of useful and gently used goods from disposal sites in the past six years.
In construction, we build our homes sustainably and to be as energy-efficient as possible. Moving forward, we have plans to expand our build projects to include the construction of net-zero homes, taking sustainable housing to the whole next level.
And of course, our ReVive Centre takes what some people might see as trash and turns it into treasure. All of this comes from our desire to operate in an innovative and forward-thinking way.
How does ReVive support Habitat?
Items that come out of our ReVive Centre go into our ReStores, where they’re sold at affordable prices to families and individuals within our community.
Revenue from ReStore sales are used to cover Habitat HM’s costs of office administration. With these necessary expenses covered, we can focus on what we do best: building.
Our social enterprises like the ReStore and ReVive Centre allow us to ensure that 100 per cent of every dollar donated to our organization goes directly into our build fund.
What types of items come out of the ReVive Centre?
Everything you can imagine.
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Keep an eye out for these items and similar pieces sold throughout our ReStore locations.
Get involved with ReVive today!
Here at the ReVive Centre, everyone is welcome. Regardless of your skill level, prior experience or belief in your creative abilities, we know you’ll have a blast creating DIY items with us. We’re certain you’ll be astounded at the things you can create.
Read our ReVive Centre testimonials to see for yourself why people can’t get enough of our innovative upcycling centre.
Get involved with Habitat HM’s ReVive centre today by volunteering or partaking in a team experience! Inquiries about our ReVive team builds can be directed to teamexperiences@habitathm.ca.