Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Portage, Wisconsin, had been using a propane forklift and a 30-year-old Big Joe pallet jack for its operations. This store does incredible work for the community, and we aimed to enhance the efficiency of their pallet movement. Started by volunteers in 1984, they have repurposed 12,160 tons of items, and they have accomplished 3.2 million volunteer hours. Their mission is “A world where everyone has a decent place to live”.
On a sunny Friday, we donated and delivered an electric Class I forklift to their facility. We were fortunate to be there on a day when high school students were volunteering as part of a co-op program.
To accept the delivery, we met with Morgan Pfaff, Executive Director and John Peruzzi, Director of Development. After years of the inconvenience of needing to go to the gas station, they were thrilled to finally have a forklift that could be charged right on-site.
“We are so grateful for this donation, we have been limping around with an old piece of equipment for a very long time. This is going to allow our employees and volunteers to be so much more efficient, which will allow us to serve more families,” said Pfaff.
Here are some of the features the Big Joe forklift includes:
“At Big Joe, we are committed to supporting our community. We eagerly anticipate the positive impact that an electric forklift will have on this organization that aids so many people,” said Jason Dunigan, Vice President of Sales.
For volunteer opportunities, check out their website and schedule a time: https://www.hfhwisconsinriver.org/restore