Helping Hands Store Prepares to Move to New Location
Author: mt43news staff reporter
MT43 News Staff Reporter
Sheila Heavirland is really busy these days. As manager of Helping Hand 4 Kids, she is not only making plans to move the second- hand store to 122 Broadway, but also trying to find someone to help the organization apply for federal nonprofit status.
“We are registered with the Montana Secretary of State’s office as a nonprofit. We just never got around to applying for a federal nonprofit identification,” she explained during her usual Saturday at the store across from Big Belt Auto, on Broadway.
In business since 2016, the nonprofit was formed by a board of local people interested in helping others buy essential items at a fair price. Those who signed the original bylaws, in addition to Sheila, who is treasurer, were Roland Heath, Dee Gannon, Dan Rowe, and Huston and Amanda Greene.
Things began to heat up when the adult Helping Hands location was forced to close in June of last year because their building on Pine Street was sold. The operation, run by volunteers, featured lightly used men’s and women’s clothing and housewares. Shiela and her board members began a serious search to find a location they could buy. The building at 122 Broadway, JR Steele Realty, came up for sale. The board approached several official nonprofit organizations in Broadwater County, including Social Services and Broadwater County Development Corporation, for help. They could not help because they did not qualify to own real estate. “So we decided to go it on our own,” she said.
After a public call to raise money to buy the building, an anonymous donor stepped forward with a generous donation for the down payment to purchase the building, Heavirland said. “Now we have a mortgage that we need to pay on. And we sure could use some help filling out the paperwork to apply for our federal nonprofit status,” she concluded.
Plans for the move from the store at Broadway to 122 Broadway will be time-consuming and complicated, Heavirland explained. Shelving from the Pine Street location needs to be moved and reassembled. Children’s clothing, toys and other items need to be boxed and moved, as well as the shelving and clothes racks in the Children’s store. The monumental task will take many pickups and even more volunteers. “We’re hoping to have the move completed somewhere around April. When the dust settles, we’ll begin calling for donations of clothing. In the meantime, we’re asking people to hold on to their donations until we can take them.”
For more information or to volunteer, please call Heavirland at (406) 422-6043. To donate to help pay their mortgage, please stop by Opportunity Bank and donate to the Helping Hands Building Fund.
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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
Image 1 Caption: Sheila Heavirland, manager of Helping Hands 4 Children, at her shop January 17.
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
