Habitat for Humanity marketing director Pete Christopher introduces “Potricia,” one of the adoptable potholes in the ReStore parking lot. (Photo/Nancy Hanson.)
Nancy Edmonds Hanson
Potricia … Harry Pot-ter … Brad Pit … Sherlock Holes … Forrest Bump. They’re waiting in the parking lot of Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore for someone to fill them with love. In the form of asphalt.
In what may be Moorhead’s most unusual “adopt-a-something” fund raiser, the campaign dubbed “Adopt a Pothole” is on the hunt for donors to open their hearts and their wallets — not just to the needy holes that pock ReStore’s parking lot in north Moorhead, but to the need to upgrade the 60-year-old former Piggly Wiggly store that houses Habitat’s enormous resale shop.
“We want donations to Habitat for Humanity to go toward the cost of building homes, not fixing up our own facility,” marketing director Pete Christopher explains. “We’ve been able to repair our leaky roof and upgrade our lighting from the revenue the shop itself generates. But the parking lot is in really terrible shape. Coming up with $370,000 or more it will take to repair and repave it is more than we can handle.
“And we definitely do need to fix those potholes out there before customers damage their cars or someone trips and breaks an ankle.”
The Adopt-a-Pothole website strums the heartstrings with tongue firmly in cheek: “For far too long, the potholes at our ReStore parking lot have been neglected, left alone and scared, run over by the world. … There is hope for the potholes, but they need YOUR help! We are turning to our generous donors and giving community to help us repave the lot at ReStore. With your financial support, we can give these potholes all the love, asphalt, sealer, and parking lines they need to live a long, helpful life.”
ReStore, with its vast stock of repurposed building supplies, furniture, appliances and other household essentials, attracts a steady flow of year-round traffic — about 11,000 shoppers per year. Its annual revenue of $600,000 covers all of Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity’s operating costs.
Says Christopher, “That means that when we receive donations for our mission, all the proceeds can go into building affordable homes.” The budget for materials and land amounts to $750,000 this year, he says, almost all of it coming from individual donors, businesses and organizations.
Founded in 1991, the local chapter of the global nonprofit housing organization presented the keys to its 71st local home Tuesday. It is one of three homes on the schedule for 2022. It was built on the grounds of Border States Electric, where volunteers and the family who will own it constructed the main floor before it was moved to its foundation in West Fargo. Border States employees donated more than 1,200 hours to the project.
“We want shopping at ReStore to be an enjoyable and safe experience for all our customers,” Christopher stresses. He says the parking lot’s needs have gone beyond the holing-filling that’s been done over the years. “We need to tear the whole thing up and start with correcting the drainage,” he explains. Run-off from rain and melting snow now flows toward the store instead of the street. Then will come new asphalt, parking stops, painted lines and a new sidewalk.
Though pothole adoptions are pegged at $125, he says that contributions of all sizes are more than welcome. To select the pothole that touches your heart and make a donation, go to https://www.lakeagassizhabitat.org/adopt-a-pothole.
