A great deal

NARI sale helps members and students

By Janine Anderson

It’s rummage sale season.

It’s the time of year when people go through their basements and garages looking for things to sell. Maybe it’s to finance a vacation or to help pay for a special summer purchase. Maybe it’s just to clean out the house.

This year, the Milwaukee/National Association of the Remodeling Industry Foundation got the rummage sale itch and organized a remodeling-oriented sale to help member firms rid themselves of unwanted inventory. The proceeds of the sale went to scholarships and grants for people entering the remodeling industry.

“We know a lot of people build up inventory of extra material,” said David Feldner, executive director of the Milwaukee/NARI Foundation, the charitable arm of the Milwaukee NARI chapter. “We thought if we held a rummage sale, we wouldn’t put a lot into promoting it but could get a lot [in return].”

Feldner put the call out to member companies asking them to donate materials. More than a dozen companies came through, bringing in unused merchandise including windows, doors, appliances, tiles, cabinets, lumber, furniture, lighting fixtures, plumbing materials, roof shingles, sinks and insulation.

More than 800 people showed up for the two-day sale, held May 12 and 13 at the Milwaukee/NARI offices in Wauwatosa, and the NARI Foundation raised more than $4,100.

“It was so successful we tried contacting members because we were running out of inventory,” Feldner said.

Part of the success stemmed from the low cost of hosting the rummage sale. Members donated their overstock to be sold, and the NARI Foundation kept advertising to a minimum, running ads in Milwaukee-area daily and weekly newspapers.

“It far exceeded expectations,” Feldner said.

Despite a rainy two days, he said people just kept coming in. Some spent $1 or $2 on needed items, while others hauled away trucks full of items after spending several hundred dollars at the sale.

The success of the first rummage sale is likely to lead to more events, Feldner said.

“We’re thinking of doing it again,” he said. “We heard good things from everyone involved — consumers, members, volunteers.”

The NARI Foundation exists to promote public awareness of the home remodeling and improvement industry through education and community activities. Much of the scholarship and grant money raised at the rummage sale will go to students at the Milwaukee Area Technical College and the Waukesha County Technical College.

This year, the NARI Foundation will give a grant to winners of the state SkillsUSA competition to help them cover the costs of attending the national competition. SkillsUSA lets students show off their skills in a wide range of fields, from cosmetology to construction. The NARI Foundation will support people who won in remodeling-related competitions.