 |
It’s Saturday morning at the Habitat for Humanity Surplus Store on Trent and Hamilton and Randy Olson is trying to prevent a traffic jam.
Saturdays are typically busy here at the 30,000-square-foot location that opened in 2000, but on this day – the store’s eighth anniversary featuring a storewide 25-percent off sale – the place has the feel of a farmers market in the middle of summer.
Customers scurry from aisle to aisle, piling their carts to the brim with building materials for their latest project. Tiles, cabinets, siding, appliances and more are marked down from prices already far below mainstream retail centers.
Randy and Sally Olson started volunteering at the store five years ago. Sally now works as the volunteer coordinator and Randy helps out with an array of tasks, from painting original signs to making sure vehicles find their way through the parking lot.
After retirement, the Spokane Valley couple learned more about Habitat for Humanity after attending a local home show. Sally said she and her husband had heard about the organization’s mission to provide affordable, quality housing to low-income individuals and families, but weren’t aware of the surplus site that provided around $25,000 a month to the cause.
“We knew they built homes, but we didn’t know anything about the store,” she said.
The location that began as a 9,000-square-foot warehouse has now generated enough money to build over two dozen homes. The store has also done its share to help cut back on waste. Over 4,000 tons of construction materials have been recycled on the shelves here.
“I like the fact that they build homes for people who need help,” Sally said. “I also appreciate that they recycle material that would end up in a landfill.”
There are about 50 volunteers who work at the Habitat store. Jeff Howard, store manager, said the net profit of the business, which has only seven full-time employees, would drop from about 50 percent to 10 if not for the fleet of workers who donate their time each week.
“Our volunteers are absolutely great,” Howard said. “It’s the only reason we’re able to function the way we do.”
Like most volunteers here, the Olsons tackle a variety of duties including cleaning, sorting, stocking and straightening up. In 2006, the local Habitat chapter named the couple Volunteers of the Year.
Howard said the Olsons have been a valuable component of the operation from day one.
“They always find things to do,” he said. “They’re just extremely reliable.”
Randy and Sally, members of Valley Assembly of God Church, have also helped out at the Christmas Bureau each December for the past two years, distributing gifts at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. Sally said the couple’s charitable work will continue to be a vital part of an active lifestyle. Golf, square dancing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also on the agenda.
“We’re determined to not just sit around and get old,” she said. “We want to be out there in the community giving back – it gives us purpose.”
Randy, who overcame cancer three years ago, said he enjoys seeing how people benefit from Habitat’s programs.
“It’s great to be able to make a difference,” he said. “It’s so inspiring to see how grateful they are to the organization for providing them a home.”
As for their own home improvement work, the Olsons say they have found the best place in town.
“If we have a project, we’ll definitely shop there first,” Sally said. “We have to support our store.”
Want to find out more?
The Habitat for Humanity Surplus store is located at 850 E. Trent and can be contacted at 535-9517. For more information on the local branch of Habitat for Humanity, call 534-2552 or visit www.habitat-spokane.org.
|
|
By
Craig Howard
