My Neighbor in Need and Miscellany to host March 15 Business After Hours
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My Neighbor in Need Founder Dave Snuggs greeted visitors April, 2014 at the "kickoff celebration" for the Chinook My Neighbor group. A My Student in Need component was added during the first year. To date about 100 requests have been filled by generous neighbors. My Neighbor is operated by volunteers and responds to requests throughout Blaine County. Every request is verified before being filled.
Chinook's My Neighbor in Need (MNIN), a help group that connect people with needs and donors who can fill those needs, is joining with Miscellany, a downtown thrift shop in Chinook, to host the next quarterly Business After Hours. The Chinook Area Chamber sponsored its first Business After Hours in April, 2014. The events let businesses showcase their products and services in a more informal setting outside normal business hours.
My Neighbor in Need started
in 2014 in Chinook
My Neighbor in Need was created by Dave Snuggs, a Great Falls resident. It sprang from an idea he had to provide some system whereby people could post a need-like needing a piece of furniture for living or a gas card to get to work. Once a need is posted on the group's website, or phoned in, a volunteer verifies the authenticity of the need (or, request). Then the need is posted and anyone can fill the need. A Chinook branch of My Neighbor in Need first went live in the spring of 2014. It serves all of Blaine County. To date the group has filled about 100 posted needs.
Shortly My Student in Need was added to the Chinook program. Through this program teachers can post, and verify, a need of a student in the Chinook Schools system. The Montana Farmers Union provides support for both programs including website support and insurance. Locally both My Neighbor and My Student are operated by volunteers.
Miscellany started in July, 2017
Miscellany is owned and operated by Patricia Hofeldt. She opened the store under a new name in July, 2017. She had owned the store previously but sold it to devote more time to family. The store has operated under several names and owners at the same location.
Hofeldt said, "I deal with just about everything except pornographic material and guns." She has been steadily adding to and changing her inventory with items she has purchased or taken on consignment. She added, "I will buy items but on my terms. I want things that are appropriate for the store and my clientele. And, it's important to me to know the origin of the items I buy."
Miscellany and MNIN
begin a new collaboration
Some time ago My Neighbor volunteers approached Miscellany for help with ways to display furniture donated to My Neighbor. The help group had no way that people needing furniture could see what was available. Patricia Hofeldt, at Miscellany, said, "We figured a way that donors can bring furniture and other donated items to my store. I will accept it basically as a consignment. If a need can be filled with the furniture, then My Neighbor gives the furniture to fill the need and I receive a consignment fee for handling and storage."
Patricia Hofeldt poses at a sales counter in Miscellany, the thrift store she owns and operates in downtown Chinook on Indiana Street. She bought an existing store in July of 2017 and has been adding to and changing her inventory with new items. Hofeldt is working with My Neighbor in Need to accept donated items to ultimately fill requests or sell with proceeds going to My Neighbor.
Hofeldt and My Neighbor volunteers will tell each donor that their gift may go directly to fill a need or be sold, in the thrift store. For example, it's unusual for My Neighbor to receive kitchen appliances, but there may be a need for one. My Neighbor may not be able to directly provide an appliance but could use the money from the sale of other items to purchase an appliance. Some needs have already been filled from the stock of donated items at Miscellany. Details about how the donation plan works will be available at the Business After Hours.
The jointly hosted Business After Hours will be held at Miscellany on Thursday, March 15. The store is located at 225 Indiana Street in downtown Chinook (look for the Elk Bar sign). There will be light refreshments and a drawing for a gift certificate to Miscellany. The After Hours runs from 6pm to 8pm. There is no charge and the public is invited. It will be a great opportunity to check out the newly opened Miscellany and learn how you can help My Neighbor to fill needs while getting rid of surplus items.
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