Wednesday, October 31, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 9
Habitat for Humanity purchases former Sisters Drug building
Sisters Habitat for
Humanity has purchased
the former Sisters Drug &
Gift building on the Corner
of Cascade Avenue and Fir
Street, with plans to move
the Habitat Thrift Store to the
new location in early 2019.
Tim and Deanna Muir
owned the iconic building
from 1985 and ran Sisters
Drug & Gift until the business
was sold in 2008. The build-
ing came up for sale in 2018.
In a statement, Sisters
Habitat said the organiza-
tion “is deeply grateful to
the Muirs for their generous
efforts to make this transac-
tion possible.”
“We are excited about this
project. It will provide more
opportunities for community
members to donate and vol-
unteer. Without these indi-
viduals we wouldn’t be build-
ing affordable homes with
Sisters’ families. It’s great to
see a spirit of cooperation and
support for Sisters Habitat,
our stores and families,” said
Habitat Board of Directors
President Roger Fairfield.
The Muirs told Habitat,
“We are so thrilled that we
could be a small part of this
moment of Sisters history. We
were so blessed to have the
opportunity to own this iconic
property then to have Habitat
for Humanity continue its
legacy.”
The new Thrift Store space
is expected to be complete
sometime after the new year.
Sisters Habitat’s Construction
Manager Darleene Snider and
construction volunteers will
update the interior to include
a greatly expanded sales floor
(approximately 5,000 square
feet), a sorting room and a
receiving area for donations
with added workspace for
volunteers (approximately
3,000 square feet). While
the building of three Habitat
homes will continue on pace,
their progress slows down
in the winter months which
fits nicely with the remodel
needed for the store, the orga-
nization reports.
Thrift Store donations at
the new site will be accepted
behind the building in the
alley between the store and
Melvin’s by Newport Avenue
Market.
The original Sisters
Habitat for Humanity Thrift
Store was opened in 1993 by
Sisters Habitat volunteers. It
was located in a small house
on Main Avenue where the
Thrift Store is today. The
store quickly got so packed
full with donations that the
volunteers decided to tear the
building down and build a
larger store. The current store
opened in 1997 when Sisters’
city population was 827. Now,
habitat reports “more than
20 years later, the volume
of donations from generous
and supportive citizens far
exceeds the space available,
and the donation drop-off
area is less than ideal. With
the new Sisters Habitat Thrift
Store location, it will be pos-
sible to display and sell dona-
tions, more clothing, house-
wares and other popular items
to adapt to the growth of the
surrounding Sisters Country.
Donating will be much easier,
and volunteers will enjoy the
extra room for sorting, clean-
ing and pricing.”
We are so thrilled that
we could be a small
part of this moment of
Sisters history. We were
so blessed to have the
opportunity to own this
iconic property then to
have Habitat for Humanity
continue its legacy.
— The Muirs
Revenue from the Sisters
Habitat for Humanity Thrift
Store and the Habitat ReStore
provides more than $250,000
each year for its home build-
ing program. These homes
are sold at no profit to partner
families and financed with
affordable mortgages that are
Smile, Sisters!
We’re committed
to your dental
health!
Exceptional Health,
Prevention & Aesthetics
For Your Family!
Trevor Frideres d.m.d.
p 541-549-9486 f 541-549-9110
410 E. Cascade Ave. • P.O. Box 1027 • Sisters
Hours: Mon., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.;
Tues.-Wed., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thurs., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
issued for 30 years. To date,
65 families have purchased
homes from Sisters Habitat
for Humanity.
Sisters Habitat also relies
on grants, homeowner mort-
gage payments and cash
donations from individuals
and businesses to support all
their work.
“With the expansion of the
Thrift Store, it is projected
that sales will grow exponen-
tially,” Habitat states. “This
translates to more affordable
homes built each year, while
still allowing low-income
families and bargain-hunters
an affordable place to shop
for high-quality used mer-
chandise and clothing.”
The Sisters Habitat
ReStore, selling furniture,
lamps, appliances, tools and
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
The former Sisters Drug building will offer Sisters Habitat for Humanity
about 8,000 square feet for retail sales, sorting, and receiving.
more, will stay at its current
location at 254 W. Adams
Ave. in Sisters. Given the
Habitat ReStore location is
also at its capacity, a decision
will be made by the Sisters
Habitat board of directors in
2019 for the future location of
the Habitat ReStore.
For more information on
Sisters Habitat for Humanity,
visit www.sistershabitat.org
or call the Habitat office at
541-549-1193.
