Chippewa Valley Habitat for Humanity has announced plans for a local store that will recycle building materials, with a late summer target date for its opening.
The new store will provide an opportunity for area residents to contribute toward building homes for others in the community by purchasing materials to build or improve their own homes, according to a Habitat for Humanity press release.
The specialty store will offer surplus and reclaimed construction and home improvement items for sale, with proceeds benefiting the organization’s programming, according to the press release. Plans call for the store’s inventory to come from donations by local contractors and community members.
“The donations we are seeking include surplus and reusable building or construction materials, as well as appliances and furniture,” said Aaron Czappa, Habitat’s executive director. “Donated retail space for six to 12 months would be ideal, but we are also looking at potential buildings to purchase.”
The organization is actively seeking partnerships with businesses that would like to become involved with the project, specifically from the areas of property management, home improvement, and furniture/interior design.
“Our hope is that community members will start integrating our store into their normal shopping routine and appreciate both its donation and destination features,” Czappa said.
“Not only do we want shoppers to leave the store feeling positive about where they spent their money, but we also want them to leave feeling positive about where they spent their time. We think that we will successfully accomplish this through the creative offerings and atmosphere of the store,” he added.
Current ideas include offering classes on refurbishing furniture and decor items in an art studio type setting, according to the press release. An area of the store may also be designated as an “inspirational zone,” with project ideas readily available along with relevant books and magazines for guests to use.
All proceeds generated from store sales will be used to support Habitat for Humanity’s operations, including adding the building of a second home each year. All donations made to the building material reuse store are tax deductible.
During the store ‘s start-up phase, donations will need to be dropped off at the location, but the organization said it hopes to move quickly toward offering pick-up services. Anyone with questions about the store, or wanting to become involved with the project can contact the Chippewa Valley Habitat for Humanity office by calling (715) 833-8993 or sending a message to info@cvh4h.org.
Chippewa Valley Habitat for Humanity builds homes for lower-income families in need of safe, decent, and affordable housing. Building is currently taking place in Menomonie to provide a home for the organization’s 43rd partner family. Homes are built with volunteer labor, and discounted or donated materials and services are used whenever possible.