We pay or volunteer · we don't quote
When we partner with a community org, we don't send an invoice. Either we donate the materials (cost-only) or we volunteer the time. We don't write 'community engagement' into our rates.
COMMUNITY · 6 PARTNERSHIPSOLDEST: SINCE 1968 · NEWEST: SINCE 2022
Six partnerships.
57-year average.
Our community work isn't a press release. Six long-term partnerships across the Twin Cities — Habitat builds, school wood shops, food-shelf drives, maker markets, restoration network. We don't quote, we donate. We don't cycle, we commit.
AISLE01CM-2008 · SINCE 2008
MATERIALS + VOLUNTEER CREW
CM-2008
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
Material donations for every Habitat build in the Twin Cities — typically 15+ houses a year. Plumbing, paint, hardware, lumber. We close the Maplewood store one Saturday each summer for a build day; about 20 staff plus their families show up.
- 2024 CONTRIBUTION$84,000 in materials in 2024 · 11 staff build days · 1 store-closure day
- WHO COORDINATESCoordinated by Sophie Lee · Margaret's daughter · Maplewood manager
AISLE02CM-1968 · SINCE 1968
FREE SERVICE · ALL STORES
CM-1968
Free Saturday-morning sharpening drop-off.
Earl started this in 1968 — a paper sign on the door said 'Bring a knife on Saturday morning, no charge for kitchen knives.' Frank made it bigger; Margaret kept it. We sharpen kitchen + utility knives free on Saturday mornings; specialty knives ($12 normally) are still charged.
- 2024 CONTRIBUTION~3,200 knives sharpened free in 2024 · all 3 stores
- WHO COORDINATESPedro + bench team rotating · all volunteer hours
AISLE03CM-2011 · SINCE 2011
MATERIALS AT COST · STAFF TEACHING
CM-2011
Roseville High School wood shop.
Roseville High has a working wood shop (rare in 2025). We supply lumber + hardware at cost — basically just pay for raw material, staff time + delivery free. Carlos guest-teaches one class each fall on hand-tool care; Ronnie does the deck-build clinic in spring.
- 2024 CONTRIBUTION~$12,000 / yr in cost-only materials · 4 guest-teaching sessions
- WHO COORDINATESCoordinated with Bill Anderson · Roseville HS shop teacher · 14 yr
AISLE04CM-2018 · SINCE 2018
VENUE + POWER + BATHROOMS · NO FEE
CM-2018
Falcon Heights First-Sunday Maker Market.
First Sunday of each month, Falcon Heights parking lot becomes a maker market. Local makers + craftspeople vend; we provide the space, electrical hookups (we ran extra outlets in 2019 for this), bathroom access, and free coffee for vendors. No fee, no take.
- 2024 CONTRIBUTION~12 vendors / month · 80 events since 2018 · 0 dollars charged
- WHO COORDINATESCoordinated by Marisol Ortega · Falcon Heights staff
AISLE05CM-2020 · SINCE 2020
FOUNDING MEMBER · RESOURCE SHARING
CM-2020
Twin Cities Restoration Network.
Started during COVID when restoration projects spiked and supply chains broke. Twelve Twin Cities trades + small contractors share specialty inventory through a shared spreadsheet. Holloway is the largest contributor (we have the deepest restoration plumbing); we also pull from others when we need pre-1900 fittings.
- 2024 CONTRIBUTION~140 cross-shop transfers in 2024 · spreadsheet-managed
- WHO COORDINATESCoordinated with Northside Lumber · Twin Cities Tile · 9 other shops
AISLE06CM-2022 · SINCE 2022
HOLIDAY MATERIAL DRIVE + STAFF MATCHING
CM-2022
Roseville + Maplewood food shelves.
Each November + April, we run a material drive for the local food shelves: tools for cooking, hardware for the building, paint for periodic refreshes. Staff give a target; the family matches dollar for dollar. Margaret personally drops off the matching check.
- 2024 CONTRIBUTION~$28,000 / yr (staff $14K + family match $14K) across 2 shelves
- WHO COORDINATESMargaret + Frank Holloway · staff drive coordinated by Lin Park
AISLE07VALUES · HOW WE PARTNER
4 PRINCIPLES
How we
partner.
Four principles, derived from sixty years of mistakes. Be useful, be long-term, be small enough to know what's working, and don't write community work into the rates — donate it.
Six decades · seven partnerships
Our oldest partnership (Saturday sharpening) is 57 years old. Newest (Restoration Network) is 5. We don't churn through community programs; we commit and stay.
Long-term beats annual
We turn down most requests for one-off sponsorships. We say yes to long-term partnerships where we can be useful repeatedly. Habitat is the model — 17 years and counting.
Family + staff are part of it
Margaret personally writes the matching checks. Sophie coordinates Habitat. Marisol runs maker market. Lin runs the food-shelf drive. The community work isn't a department; it's how we operate.
AISLE08ROLLING NUMBERS · COMMUNITY
6OLDEST 1968
ACTIVE PARTNERSHIPS
$140KMATERIALS + MATCHING
2024 CONTRIBUTION
3,200+SHARPENED FREE · 2024
KNIVES
0LONG-TERM ONLY
ONE-OFF SPONSORSHIPS
