Seeking Shelter
As the United States economy started its steep downward spiral three weeks ago, we at Materials Matter were experiencing our own little economic collapse.
After four years of operating our warehouse in Corona, California, where we ran our Home Improvement Outlet -- the retail end of our operation -- as well as our donation distribution center, we very suddenly had to pack up and seek new digs. We found ourselves caught in the middle of a bitter dispute between to two owners of the property. And the situation very quickly evolved into a crisis for all of us.
Materials Matter -- a nonprofit that supplies building materials to homeless shelters -- found itself homeless. The irony was not lost on us. But we did what we had to do, moving all 30,000 square feet of our materials and infrastructure temporarily to our distribution warehouse in Irvine. But our retail operation is for the moment closed, and we’re concerned.
As a social enterprise, we rely heavily on the earned income from the Home Improvement Outlet and fee-for-service programs to support our charity work. It’s fair to say that if we do not get another store up and running soon our nonprofit programs will be in serious jeopardy. Already, we’ve been forced to put a hold on some material requests by our Community Chest members. Materials Matter supplies these groups, including Habitat for Humanity and HomeAid, with low and no cost building materials and supplies.
Our staff is now working around the clock to re-establish operations. We are now in the process of looking at new locations for lease, so we can get our retail operation up and running once again.
In these troubling times, our nonprofit organization, which recycles and reuses building materials to help other nonprofits build shelter and housing, all paid for by providing the public with discounted home improvement products, is needed more now than ever.
As we all grapple with the falling value of homes, rising unemployment, and an uncertain economic future, it can only serve us well to focus on getting the most value out of the resources we have already.
We will keep you posted!
