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!
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Comments
Inwardly we long for the calm predictability of the good ol’ days.No one will argue that changing the way we operate is hard-very hard- but all signs indiate that innovation and transformation are to stay.Because of the explosive power of exponential growth, the 21st century will be equivalent to 15,000 years of progress at today’s rate of progress.when one door closes, another door opens, and if you can keep that attitude, you have really got one of the secrets to happiness in life.
Posted by: Dr.A.Khan (MBA-PhD) | October 7, 2008 06:54 PM
hello all . This idea I have may not related to the topic underdiscussion but I beleive it wroth ALL woking american time . It abuot transportation in America,
It be obseved that more Americans are noew using trains. It would help the urdan planer to consider the us of a park and ride system like the one in the uk. i N THIS SYSYEM PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUT SIDE OF THE MAIN CITY CENTRE OR IN THE OUTER SUBAN, DRIVE THEY CAR TO METRO RAIL TRAIN STSATION AND PARK THEY CARS FOR THE WORK DAY AND RIDE IN TO THE MAIN CITY AREA BY TRIAN . IT WORK PRETTY GOOD IN THE UK. THIS SYSTEM IS COMBIMNE WITH A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM WITH RIRUN RIGHT INTO THE HREAT OF THE CITY CENTRES. JUST THINK OF THE MONEY PEOPLE WHO CUMMMUE FOR OUTTER BANKS AREA TO TOWN COULS SAVE IN GALINE AND THE EXTENTION IN CAR LIFE AS WELL. MODEL FOR THIS SYSTEM ARE AVALBE IN THE UK . i WROTE THIS IN RESPONSE TO WATCH THE EXPIRENCE OF THOS FOLK IN SOUTHREN CALIFONICA, AND MANY OTHER AREAS OF AMERICA,
POLICTICAL LEADERsCOULD SE
see it as worth while
INVESTMENT FOR THE
futrue,
OH I DO
support HIGH SPEED TRAIN SYSTEM FOR CALIFONIA
IAN PARKE
Posted by: Ian Parke | October 14, 2008 08:55 PM