Community GiveAway House: Havre landmark is back in action

Since reopening its doors in March after a hiatus of more than a year due to an internal disagreement, the Community Giveaway House, at 1058 2nd St. N. has seen a decrease in visitors from years prior.

The nonprofit organization was created in the early 1970s by local residents Ruth Nystrom and Anne Friesen who collected items to distribute to those in need.

Donations ranged from food and clothes, to furniture and dishes. In 1989 the Giveaway House became an official nonprofit organization. Nystrom and her husband, Karl, donated to the nonprofit the house which this organization uses, with the requirement that it continue to operate as a nonprofit charity organization.

In order to pay the electricity bills, the Giveaway House relies on donations and various fundraisers, such as raffles.

The disagreement is settled and the doors are open to serve again, but people need to get back into the habit of coming to the Giveaway House to meet their needs.

Sue Markley, who has been volunteering at the Giveaway House since 2008, said that ever since the house reopened, their visitor rate has been lower than it was in the past.

"We used to be open two evenings a week, also, but we don't have enough volunteers right now to be open those two evenings," she said. "Being closed for a year, some of them just went other places."

Markley said the Giveaway House takes donations of just about anything that individuals want to pass along to others - such as clothing, appliances and dishes.

"Then they don't have to find another way to get rid of it, plus they get a write-off on their taxes for donations," she added.

Markley said the main goal of this facility is to distribute everything that comes in to the people who need the items. Her favorite part about volunteering at the Giveaway House is meeting people and being able to help them with whatever their needs are, Markley said, adding that a wide variety of individuals stop by at the Giveaway House.

Markley said after an item has been on display for three months without finding a new home, they ship it to various organizations such as the Community Center at Hays.

"Right now, we have so much stuff, after being closed for a year - we got all this stuff coming in," she said.

The overflow is mostly clothing.

Bernice Campbell, another voluntee,r has been involved with the organization since around 2000. She said that she keeps an eye out for items particular people might be interested in.

"I try to remember what everybody is looking for - I got one lady (who comes in) that does not do longsleeves, she does short sleeves," she said.

Campbell keeps the baby section organized.

"We have girls and boys - really nice and newer clothes that we stash away and use for their layettes," she said. "They get up to six months, sometimes 12 months in - infant clothing," Campbell said.

"We have a lot of people that have no washers and dryers - they have throwaway clothes, so they come and get new clothes about once a month, every month," she said.

The Giveaway House is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., as well as the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Those who wish to volunteer at the house can simply show up at the facility, or call 406-265-7741.