“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless,but because they’re priceless.” (Sherry Anderson)

Where would any vibrant, thriving society be without extraordinary people who choose to give their time and talents, making their community a better place to live, work, and visit? Ann Rigsby is one of those extraordinary people for whom volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Bermuda Run is absolutely a labor of love.

Ann and her husband Tim moved to Bermuda Run in the spring of 2019 from Clemmons at the urging of friends who knew how much they would enjoy living here. Since then, they say they have met many wonderful people and love the peaceful environment of Bermuda Run. Tim is a frequent golfer and Ann enjoys working in their yard. Their young adult children, Kacey and Paul, live out of town but come home often. Ann and Tim can often be found walking their little dog Martin in the neighborhood.

Ann began volunteering at the ReStore in Lewisville about 5 years ago after shopping there occasionally, looking for small pieces of furniture to refinish or paint. She always liked the mission of Habitat for Humanity and was about to become an empty nester, so she asked the ReStore manager if they needed a volunteer. The rest is history. Ann worked at the Lewisville ReStore until she learned about the store opening right in her own neighborhood of Bermuda Run; and she stepped right in to begin volunteering here before the store even opened last May. Staffers Michael, Joy, and Joshua also came to the Bermuda Run ReStore from the Lewisville ReStore, so she knew it would be a great team.

The ReStore accepts gently used household items as donations, but there are also paint and brand new pieces, such as rugs, furniture, and hardware for sale. Ann’s main role is to process the smaller items that are donated to the ReStore. After checking to ensure that they are appropriate for resale and function properly, the items are cleaned and priced. Items at the ReStore are generally priced 25-75 percent below suggested retail prices or sales prices on sites such as Ebay. The donations are then displayed in specific areas around the store or used to accent furniture vignettes. 

When asked what makes the Bermuda Run ReStore special, Ann replied that it’s because of the staff’s efforts to be involved in the Davie County community. Since its opening, the ReStore has held a drive to collect pet food and supplies for the Humane Society of Davie County and a drive to collect items for A Storehouse for Jesus. People making these donations were rewarded with a store discount. The ReStore held adoption events for the Humane Society and provided a location for a local Girl Scout Troop to sell cook es. In addition, the ReStore partners with the Davie County Public Library to provide lockers located in the store. Ann says her

favorite way the ReStore helps the community is the partnership with a class for adults with disabilities from Davidson-Davie Community College who come to the ReStore biweekly to learn job skills. Working with those students is the highlight of her volunteer time in the ReStore.

Ann also appreciates the privilege of volunteering alongside future Habitat homeowners who are already working towards home ownership before ground is even broken on their house. Ann says, “These are deserving, kind, hardworking people; and I am happy to be working to help them achieve their goal of home ownership by doing something I enjoy. People in the community can do the same thing just by shopping at the ReStore.”

Ann says that the ReStore is always in need of donations, both big and small, and the Bermuda Run ReStore welcomes new volunteers. She loves interacting with the customers and is especially happy when an item is placed on the sales floor and is bought within minutes. She frequently tells customers not to think too long about purchasing an item they like because frequently it will be sold quickly. She advises us that “The store is never the same day to day; there is something for everyone. You never know what you will find.”

Joy Haymore, Bermuda Run ReStore Assistant Manager, sums it all up by saying, “Ann has been a longtime volunteer/donation ambassador for us. The passion she has for our mission is seen through the interactions she has with other volunteers as well as our shoppers. She is a blessing to work with and an extension of our Habitat family.”