Today we’d like to introduce you to Zac Hensley
Hi Zac, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in the suburbs of Dayton. However, a majority of my family lived on the East Side. Being a child of the eighties and nineties, there was a lot of shuffling around and getting dropped off with Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles for the weekend.
A majority of my youth was spent going to Smales Pretzels, going to the Arcade, or watching the Christmas Children’s Parade at the Court House.
Housing insecurity was something you lived with. There was always a neighbor, friend, or loved one that was facing foreclosure or eviction. My Mother and Step Father worked two full time jobs to simply keep a roof over our head and food on the table. As children, my brothers and sisters never wanted for anything. However, that was because of my parent’s sacrifice.
Around 2020, COVID opened and closed so many doors. I chose to leave the airline industry after working in it for 15 years and began to look for something that I felt was more fulfilling. I found the job in the ReStore listed online. I was severely overqualified for it. But, I still went for it.
Three years in, a house fire, a break up, and move to the South park neighborhood of Dayton, I find myself now more ingrained in the mission that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton strives for. Because, we truly do need a world in which everyone has a decent place to live.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is ever a smooth road. Every day you’re dealing with different mindsets and personalities. There’s a stigma that is wrapped around many of the things that Habitat for Humanity does.
I’ve found through talking and educating, donor’s, customers, and volunteers, can really see what we’re all about. On one front, there is the store itself.
People assume that we are given these items, so, they should be free or nearly free. Unfortunately, nothing is free. there’s the cost of each pick up, the fuel and maintenance to the trucks, there’s the time and effort it costs to test a stove, clean a couch, or put a cabinet set back together.
The ReStore is more of a stop gap. Habitat itself works as it’s own bank. The Partner Families aren’t getting a free house. They’re getting a interest free loan.
As you know, we’re big fans of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton is a non profit that believes every single person should have a decent place to live. In 2023 alone, we’ve completed 63 critical repairs in our region, 5 families have purchased homes, and twelve homeowners paid off their mortgage.
The ReStore is a part of this. In 2023, $930,000 was raised to pay staff, keep the lights on, and assist in covering the overhead of home repairs and the interest free mortgages our Partner Families have the opportunity to pursue.
In a way, the ReStore is the face of Habitat for Humanity. We are some of the only ones that the general public will see. Every conversation can lead to someone either volunteering, donating, or becoming one of the 187 families that we’ve helped in the past three years.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risks come with the territory. One of my catch phrases is “this will work, or it won’t!”
Earlier this year we decided to change up vendors for some of the items we purchase for our store. That’s a huge risk, however, the customers really do seem to like the change.
We’ve also changed some of our policies to help reduce cost and cut some of the prices on the items we offer to the general public. At first, there was a huge impact on our overhead. However it seems to be working out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://daytonhabitat.org/restore.html
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaytonReStore/
