We moved…. but we still need HELP!

Anyone who shopped in the old Home ReSource knew that we had outgrown our space. The economic slowdown of ‘08/’09/’10 increased demand for our services, because people with projects needed to stretch their dollars as far as possible. And, if that weren’t enough to max us out, Home ReSource was becoming more popular than ever as our “greatest store ever” reputation spread throughout western Montana.

Fast forward to 2010. Now more than ever, the community needs our services – and we need the community’s support! We’ve moved into our ideal new home, but we face additional costs in order to make our new store the best that it can be. We’re counting on you! You can support our expansion by volunteering, by offering your testimonial, or with a donation to our “Garden of Giving.”

A “Garden of Giving”
To commemorate your gifts and symbolize the growth of our community in this effort, we are building a “Garden of Giving” along the front wall of our new store. Currently under construction, this unique covered patio and sculptural installation is being built from reclaimed materials from the Home Resource yard – steel columns from the Karst Stage bus barn in Anaconda, MT, salvaged beetle-killed trees from the urban/wildland interface, reclaimed architectural elements, and more. The sculptural garden elements are engraved steel, copper, and brass leaves and flowers and fruit, engraved clay tiles, and carved wooden elements, and more, all bearing the names and company logos of our donors and volunteers. The precise design of the Garden of Giving is evolving according to the uniqueness of the gifts we’ve received, and it’s turning into one of the most unique sculptural installations in Missoula!

Donate today to secure your place in the Garden of Giving (so that everyone is fondly reminded of you when they’re eating lunch together out on the patio). Each gift level will be recognized by an element in the garden, and you will have the opportunity to personalize it as you like – with your own signature, your child’s artwork, your company logo, a favorite quote, or the name of a loved one. If you want to draw or write directly on your piece of the garden, you can join the creative construction at one of our workshops in Spring of 2010 (dates to be announced.) Otherwise, we will contact you to get your logo or inscription.

So, please join us in growing both our “garden” and our community! We look forward to recognizing your support in 2010 – and thank you!

Garden of Giving donor levels	Amount	Donate
Tree Trunk (carved reclaimed post)	$10,000
Branch (carved reclaimed timber)	$5,000
Flower (large etched or painted steel plate)	$2,500
Fruit (small etched or painted steel plate)	$1,000
Brass Leaf	$500
Copper Leaf	$250
Steel Leaf	$100
Grass (name listed on green tiles in wall mosaic)	$50
Roots (name listed on brown tiles in wall mosaic)	$25

Where and when?
After several years of visioning and negotiating with other “green” businesses and like-minded investors, Home ReSource has collaborated with Rocky Mountain Development Group to create The Montana Sustainability Center, a one-stop shopping center with a mission to “grow the businesses that will grow the green economy.” Located at the corner of Russell and Wyoming streets (the former 4G’s Plumbing building,) the center will eventually house multiple green businesses and help revitalize the neighborhood. (Space is still available! If you have a green business that would be a good fit, contact us!) In March 2010, with the vital support of the community, Home Resource will move into 15,000 square feet of the existing building and an adjoining lumber yard – optimally designed to serve Western Montana well into the future.

A bounty of benefits for Missoula

Many features of the new location will help improve our effectiveness at reducing waste and helping folks fix up their homes for a fraction of the usual cost.

• Centrally located just a few blocks north of the Good Food Store, we will be much easier to find, and we’ll reach out to 35,000 vehicles driving by every day.
• Nearly quadrupling our indoor square footage will enable us to keep more materials in better condition, and make them more organized and accessible.
• Purchasing will be streamlined with two cash registers and an upgraded computer system.
• Donating materials will be easier and faster at our dedicated intake area – so you won’t have to wait behind shoppers when you just want to drop something off.

What does all this mean in quantifiable terms?
Thanks to the massive influx of material from Deconstruction Services, Home Resource now diverts over 1000 tons of material from the landfill annually. This effort annually offsets 200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from building materials manufacturing, and saves up to 95% of the embodied energy required to produce the same materials new. After one year in our new location, we aim to increase throughput by at least 50%. That’s 1500 tons diverted, and 300 tons of CO2 equivalent offset each year. It also means thousands of Missoulians with warmer, drier, more comfortable, or simply more beautiful homes. Cumulatively, such home improvements translate into neighborhoods with more pride, less crime, better schools and less vandalism – in short, healthier and wealthier communities.

Why do we need your support?
Unfortunately, there are financial challenges to be met during such a large expansion. Rent at the new location will be much higher, and in order for revenues to cover expenses long term, we need to attract more donations and more customers (a good thing for the environment and the community), as well as increase the speed with which materials flow through the store and back to the community. All this requires equipment upgrades, more staff, and more educational outreach. Moreover, the new space has required significant remodeling to meet code requirements and higher energy efficiency standards. These up front costs add up to $150,000 (The detailed budget is available upon request). We hope to raise $50,000 in grants or low interest loans; we’re counting on you for the other $100,000.

We know: “the economy, stupid.” It’s exhilarating to embark on this campaign just as the “worst recession since the great depression” is upon us. But Missoula is somewhat isolated from these global events, thanks to our strong local economy and all the hard-working, can-do people of our community. As the national economy has taken a dive, you Missoulians have been re-using and recycling more than ever. Now is precisely the time when more of our community members need our services the most. And as the unsustainable global economy weakens, there is really no better time for us to come together and build up our local economy in a more sustainable way. We can make the most of our local resources, especially those in existing buildings. We can harvest timber in ways that restore local forests, rather than clear-cutting for a rapacious global market. We can help countless families (like Dave the Teacher’s – see below) make essential home improvements.

That’s why your support is so important at this time. Our goal of $100,000 in community support may seem ambitious, but we’ve already raised $80,000. We’re almost there! We can do this! As always, your gift is 100% tax deductible. We’ll send you a receipt along with our thanks promptly. Every root, leaf and flower helps grow our Garden!

If you are unable to give at this time, you could help us tremendously in two other ways: volunteer to help at the new store (call Josh at 541-8300,) or send your testimonial to matt@homeresource.org or abe@homeresource.org.

Please Tell Us Your Stories
Calling all customers!! We are seeking testimonials describing how Home Resource has improved your life, or how we have enabled you to accomplish a project you couldn’t otherwise afford – we want to know how we have met your needs. And why are we asking this of you? Not only because we love to hear about your projects and share great ideas, but because your personal stories will help strengthen our fundraising efforts, allowing us to demonstrate with hard evidence the benefit we bring to people’s lives. Even if you can’t donate monetarily to Home Resource, your testimonials are a great way to help us out. (Let us know if we have your permission to share your full name along with your testimonial.) Thanks, and we hope to hear from you soon.

“I am a teacher and my wife works part time. We have three little girls and we have a hard time making ends meet. We finally finished our unfinished basement and would not have been able to do so without the help of Home Resource. With the prices for materials in regular stores so high, we would not have been able to afford this project. We purchased everything from insulation, electrical, sheetrock, two by fours, paint, plumbing and many more things from you. We estimate that we saved about $1500 on materials bought at Home Resource. This amount is huge when it comes to having extra funds to buy the necessary things need to raise our children.”

– Dave from Missoula