Home Resource in Missoula, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
The non-profit is a thrift store that accepts donated building materials, most of which are used.
NBC Montana spent time at the store, where we met its executive director, Kelli Hess.
The items, said Kelli , are "everything (ree)."
“Re-use, revamp, renewal," she said. "We’re into giving things their next possible life. Keeping things out of the landfill really speaks to what Missoula’s about."
Many of us, might see the first day of spring on March 20th, as a time to shake off winter doldrums and prepare for spring projects.
“We’re going to get that bug to do that spring cleaning or that yard project on a dime," said Kelli. "They can do that in an affordable way.”
Home Resource's mission is to create a more sustainable community, with as little waste as possible.
It's an effort to extend the life of everything in what Kelli calls the "circular economy."
“Instead of having a linear system where we take a product and use it one time and throw it away, " she said, "we take a product, use it for its original purpose, and we figure how we might keep it in that circle and re-use it, potentially again and again.”
Kelli took us to the lighting department, where there are dozens of lighting fixtures from different time periods.
She said lights from the early 90's, are seeing renewed popularity.
"I was hearing a customer say, Oh this one might work," she said of vintage fixtures with several lights , " I could just paint that little part, or if I swap out this little section it would fit perfectly."
She also showed us old door knobs, some made of metal, and others made of glass.
“The look is beautiful and functionally they still work," she said, " So, here we are sometimes dabbling into the antique world.”
Mostly, Home Resource sells basic building materials, like lumber, doors, windows, plumbing supplies, sinks, bathtubs, toilets, flooring and a million screws.
But quite often it takes in unusual items.
She showed us a bright red box that was donated a few days ago.
She turned a crank on the box and visible gears on the side of the machine began to turn.
Out of a pipe spewed white fluffy material.
“ I think it’s a teddy bear stuffing machine," said Kelli. "Magically, it brings the fluff out of what I can only expect is the stuffer element of this magical machine.”
The "teddy bear" machine is an item that could see other uses, that is, if you don't have stuffed animals to maintain.
Could it possibly be used to stuff pillows?
Or maybe, cushions?
"You just got to think outside the box," said customer Justin Boisclaire.
We met Justin as he was picking out tools, including a number of screwdrivers.
We showed him another unusual item on the floor-lights that might be used for medical purposes, possibly from a dentist or optometrist's office.
Justin took a few seconds to come up with an alternative on how they might be used.
“They’re pivotal. They move around," he said.
" You can position them anywhere. You could put it underneath your car and see what you’re doing," said Justin. " It’s totally re-purposeable. It doesn’t have to be a medical light.”
Justin, like many, if not most of the customers who frequent the store is a do-it-yourselfer
Kelly calls them "DIYers."
Home Resource employees get a million questions.
They have to know a little bit about everything, from kitchen cabinets to bath fans to lawn chairs.
The longest continuously working employee is Paul Hill.
Colleagues told us "you gotta' meet Paul. He's the "hub" of the operation.
“Paul is a crucial, a crucial component of Home Resource for sure," said assistant manager Madeline Finley. " He is the center of everything revamp that we do, and all the upcycling that we do.”
Paul tests faucets.
He shakes and examines the paint to make sure it's usable.
Paul said about 70 percent of the paint passes his inspection and about 30 percent doesn't
“I learned how to be dedicated to problem solving from Paul," said Madeline. "He never gives up."
Paul said giving up is never an option.
“Get at it. Get at it," he said of his job. "And problem solve. Problem solve.”
Paul showed NBC Montana a number of wooden items that artists use to paint on.
He makes them from hollow doors.
He also builds birdhouses.
What says spring and renewal more than that?