Habitat for Humanity to Raise Funds with New Bellevue Home Improvement Store

Habitat for Humanity of East King County is planning to open a new Habitat Store in Bellevue to raise money to help low-income families into homes, according to a news release.

The store will be open to the general public and offer donated products for furnishing and decorating homes to raise money for Habitat for Humanity of East King County, the release said.

"This new venture will provide a sustainable revenue stream for our building program while expanding on our commitment to responsible business practices by reselling quality products that otherwise would be sent to the landfill," said Tom Granger, Executive Director of Habitat's East King County affiliate, in a prepared statement.

The store will have 10,000 square feet of space inside and parking in its location at 13500 Bel-Red Road, a shopping center that includes  and .

Profits from the store will support Habitat's construction of quality affordable housing, according to the nonprofit. This year, the East King County affiliate is building 12 homes at projects in Issaquah Highlands and Renton.

In 1995, Habitat for Humanity built a three-bedroom home in Kirkland for a family that could not otherwise have afforded a new home.

Habitat's homes use environmentally friendly materials and follow "green" practices in design and construction. It also relies on donations and donated labor from the community to help qualified low-income families build homes that they purchase.

"We've been planning this store for a year and feel confident about moving forward after the University of Washington's Leadership MBA Program completed a comprehensive market study last winter," said Granger in a prepared statement.

The build-out of the new store is being designed by Chesmore/Buck Architects of Bellevue, which is donating its services, according to Habitat.

"We're very fortunate they have donated their services. They have been long time supporters of Habitat for Humanity in this community and with their expert input and cost effective approach, the Habitat Store is going to look fabulous." said Granger.

The store is the second fundraising home decorating and remodeling store in King County. The first such store is in Seattle, which opened three years ago.

The Bellevue store will be able to pick up and deliver items that are donated for sale. The store will focus on home décor and include cabinets, furniture, lighting and accessories. The store, which is projected to open in mid- to late August, is currently accepting donations of these items. To find out about donating, call 425-351-1186 or visit http://habitatekc.org/store/.

The Bellevue store manager, Curtis Heard, is a graduate of the University of California at Fresno and has retail experience at a Fresno area Habitat Store. He is married and has two sons. The store's staff will include a small paid staff augmented by volunteers, according to the nonprofit.

Visit www.habitatekc.org to learn more about Habitat for Humanity of EKC.

Other local Habitat for Humanity stores

Olympia — South Puget Sound HFH Store

Address:

415 Olympia Ave NE
Olympia, Washington 98501

Phone:

(360) 956-3456

Website:

http://www.spshabitat.org

Seattle — Seattle/South King County Store

Address:

21 S Nevada
Seattle, Washington 9885

Phone:

(206) 957-6914

Website:

http://www.seattle-habitat.org