Just past downtown Soldotna on the Sterling Highway is a thrift option like no other. BuildUp, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that takes in and sells second-hand building materials. The store opened its doors in August 2020 with a mission of keeping quality building materials out of the landfill.
Inspired by constant trips to the dump to dispose of building materials, BuildUp board president Amy Anderson realized there was a need for a local thrift option that would take in these goods. Anderson, who works for a construction company, took it upon herself to form the organization’s board.
“Extending the life of these products also benefits the landfill because it costs to dump, and it takes up space, which costs our community,” Anderson said. “If we can keep things out until their time is up, we’re keeping costs down for the community.”
BuildUp accepts a variety of second-hand building materials, including cabinets, light fixtures, plumbing supplies, sheetrock and tile. They’ve taken in more than 86,000 pounds of building materials this year alone.
Before opening its storefront, board members sold miscellaneous building materials from their cars. The brick-and-mortar location was able to open thanks to sponsored donations from the local giving group 100+ Women Who Care.
“If you love garage sale-ing, you get to be part of that on a day-to-day basis,” said Stephanie Lambe, BuildUp board treasurer and vice president. “Products on our shelves turn over so quickly, so I think it’s nice for people to come in and be able to shop, but also realize that they’re contributing to our mission of keeping a lot of items out of the landfill.”
Since opening, board members and volunteers say BuildUp’s operation has increased significantly. When it first opened, the storefront was less than 1,000 square feet. Today, it is more than double that.
Until recently, the nonprofit store was run entirely by a group of about 20 on-call volunteers, tasked with not only running the storefront, but sorting through donations, sometimes thousands of pounds at a time.
The store’s largest donation to date came from the Fred Meyer grocery store in Soldotna. It consisted of three trailers — roughly 4,000 pounds — of shelving material. The shelves are still in use today.
Because of its growth, BuildUp has on-boarded a full-time store manager.
“We realized we had grown so much where we just needed someone to make the decisions,” Lambe said. “Are we going to accept this or not accept this? Do we have enough room to buy a forklift? Do you have the budget for it? So that’s why we made the commitment to actually pay a full-time person.”
While the addition has not only helped the organization better serve its mission, it has also streamlined the store’s shopping experience. Anderson says many customers shop at BuildUp if they are looking for an item that a typical hardware store might not carry.
“BuildUp provides a place where people can shop at discounted prices so they are able to improve the efficiency of their home,” she said.
Since opening, BuildUp has made donations to other nonprofits, such as the Kenai Peninsula Project Homeless Connect. The organization is currently accepting suggestions for this year’s cash donation to a local charity.
BuildUp is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
