Article by Tiffany Ricci and photo by Renata Haidle

Old things are given new life at a garage sale. One person’s used becomes another person’s new. Those funky wedges that no longer fit one person’s style become a statement piece for the next person. Furniture that doesn’t work for a home becomes the perfect accent piece for another. 

This hopeful event was displayed at Pure WestPureWest Christie’s International Real Estate Community Event this summer. Their parking lot turned into a treasure trove of tables displaying fun knickknacks waiting for a new home, clothing of all sizes, and fabric hanging on racks. This tremendous effort was not in vain but a labor of love to raise money for a worthy local nonprofit, RSD: Resource, Support, and Development, Inc.

This Community Event was a collaboration between Shirley Petersen, an RSD board member (former realtor), and PureWest. “Pure WestPureWest is a Montana-based company, and we’re very connected to the community. We’re local and a part of the community,” pullout quote? states Korynne Kern, PureWest’s Managing Broker in Billings. 

Two PureWest owners, Sheila Larsen in Billings and Nancy Curtiss in Red Lodge, believe that real estate is not just a transaction but a relationship. They’re not just selling property but selling a community - a community they know intimately. A realtor’s job is out and about in a community - helping people buy, sell, and develop the neighborhoods around them. They notice the good that’s going on and want to support organizations serving the community they love.

Pure WestPureWest rallies its troops three times a year to give back to the place they call home. In the spring, they hold a food drive to donate to the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools, Harvest Hope School Food Pantry, and the Boys & Girls Club of Carbon County in Red Lodge, including sandwich vouchers graciously provided by Coffee Factory Roasters.

In the fall, agents and staff support Dog Tag Buddies, an organization that helps veterans build relationships with their provided, trained service dogs. PureWest collects items such as leashes, collars, dog toys, and financial donations to support an organization near to their hearts.

Pure WestPureWest wanted to have a more significant impact with a garage sale. They wanted to share their desire to support RSD with the community - magnifying their efforts as a smaller business.

The garage sale event is the first one they’ve done; it could be an annual one. Shirley reached out to PureWest to collaborate on a fundraiser for RSD. Keri had recent experience with a garage sale fundraiser and had a few leftover donations to start the community event for Pure WestPureWest.

Anyone who has put on a garage sale knows the effort required to pull it off. A labor of love is an understatement when the effort is to support a worthy cause like RSD. Between the sorting, organizing, and setting up - it’s hours of work. When asked if they had an official “price haggler,” Keri just laughed. “No, we decided to go with a donation-based method to encourage generosity and avoid haggling.” Those of us who avoid price negotiations can appreciate this approach.

The realtors and staff of Pure WestPureWest were polled to see which organizations they wanted to organize fundraising opportunities for. RSD was on the list, and for good reason. Resource, Support, and Development, Inc. is “creating opportunities for people with disabilities,” according to CEO Brooke Bartholomew. The complete mission is to encourage, support, and assist each person with special needs whom we serve to make choices in his/her life and expand his/her opportunities for growth and personal development. RSD lives out this mission by offering various options to serve its population, such as congregate group homes, supported living, retirement support, community employment, and more. They currently serve 86 people in Billings, Hardin, Lewistown, & Red Lodge, with 50 clients in the group homes.

Like any family home, the congregate group homes require upkeep and maintenance. New flooring is necessary, and the garage sale proceeds are earmarked to support this project. With the massive Pure WestPureWest Community Event garage sale, RSD is closer to its goal.

Pure WestPureWest is not just selling real estate. It’s a local business dedicated to seeing and supporting the good in our community. This helps them to show off this great place we call home.

Originally printed in the October 2024 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Check this article out in the digital issue of Simply Local here!

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