Required Community Service

Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region ReStores will only accept required community service volunteers directly assigned to us by the Mecklenburg, Iredell and Gaston Counties Court Systems and their Community Service Office.

Please click here to fill out our community service application form, and a Habitat Charlotte Region team member will contact you as soon as possible. Applications MUST be approved before attending any orientation or service hour shift.

All individuals who are completing community service hours must complete an orientation session before their first shift. Orientations occur in the morning three times per week at each ReStore. All volunteers must pre-arrange their start date and shifts with the Volunteer Scheduler.

All ReStore locations are allowing Community Service volunteers to walk in Monday – Friday during regular business hours AFTER they’ve completed a scheduled orientation.

Before you arrive for your community service, please take the time to view this ReStore safety video in order to help maintain a safe environment for volunteers, customers and staff:

• Your paperwork from the court system
• A photo ID (license, passport, school ID)

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If you were directly assigned by the Mecklenburg, Iredell or Gaston County Court System and their Community Service Office, please bring your Community Service Work Program / Rules and Placement Information form given to you by your court coordinator.

For those completing hours for school or work, please bring your assignment or syllabus or club requirements

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You’ll be representing Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region so dress accordingly. Please wear comfortable, casual clothes that you can work in and don’t mind getting dirty.

• Shoes – Sensible closed toe shoes in good repair with no frays or holes. No flip flops, sandals, wedges, heels, slides or other open toed shoes. Cloth shoes like Toms are discouraged. If you arrive with inappropriate footwear, you will not be permitted to work that day.
• Shirts – Shirts should have sleeves. Tank tops, spaghetti strap or shirts displaying drug, alcohol or offensive writing or inappropriate writing are not accepted.
• Pants – Shorts should extend below the middle fingertips when the individual is standing with his/her hands to the side. Pants should be modest and professional. Avoid anything too revealing or tight fitting.
• Nametag (given to you by a staff member)
• Outerwear (jacket, sweatshirt, raincoat, etc.) – Many tasks will require you to be outside, or in a backroom with open doors, so cold/rainy weather may be a factor.

• Loose-hanging jewelry
• Hats/headwear, except baseball caps or religious headwear
• Anything featuring offensive or explicit slogans, language or images
• Overly-baggy clothing
• Clothing that interferes with your ability to work, including items that you don’t want to get dirty or paint on
• Anything that allows your undergarments to show, i.e. low-rise pants, sheer shirts, etc.

Tasks vary day-to-day, but will usually consist of general housekeeping (sweeping, cleaning up and organizing various departments, dusting, cleaning the breakroom and bathrooms, wiping the windows, etc.), sorting donations, pricing items, putting priced items on the floor, creating or breaking down displays, transporting large items to customers’ cars, etc.

• Stop at the cash register each time you arrive to sign in, and be sure to stop by to sign out when you leave. If you don’t sign out, the hours for that day will not count!
• Your shift will begin when the store is open to the public; please check your store’s hours prior to your shift. Never arrive to a shift before the store is open.  A manager will meet you at the door to get you started for your pre-scheduled shift.
• Perform the tasks that are assigned to you. Doing nothing, hanging out in the coffee shop, leaving the store without signing out, etc., will result in either A) receiving no hours for that day or B) your dismissal from the site.
• Tell a manager upon arrival of your first day if you have any physical limitations that will affect your ability to perform particular assignments.
• No swearing or inappropriate conversational topics. Should any inappropriate behavior occur, you will be asked to leave immediately.

• Defiance/refusal to perform requested tasks
• Confrontational behavior toward staff, volunteers, customers or others performing community service
• Arguing/disputing number of hours accrued with staff
• Leaving site without signing out
• Neglecting or refusing to adhere to clothing requirements
• Talking on cell phone while working
• Hiding out/avoiding doing work
• Foul language/swearing and lewd or explicit conversations
• Using illegal drugs while on site or prior to shift
• Consuming alcohol prior to shift
• Misrepresentation of reason for community service or criminal charge
• Being charged with an additional misdemeanor that is not accepted by Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region while serving your community service hours