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ATLAS of Rock County is expanding into the former Kawasaki building with a goal of expanding its Christian ministry in more directions.
The organization recently purchased the property on Maple and Freeman where it will expand its Redeemed Remnants second-hand business.
ATLAS Board president Brenda Winter was among volunteers Friday morning painting, cleaning and assisting contractor Tony Gacke.
“Welcome to Redeemed Remnants,” said Winter, in a paint speckled T-shirt and paint roller in hand.
She offered an informal tour of construction and renovation progress in the building.
On the other side of a central dividing wall, she said, “Welcome to New Life Celebration Church.”
In a room off that area she said, “Welcome to ATLAS,” a space for ATLAS director Michael Blank and assistant to the director, Loree Ness.
Winter explained how the organizations are related and connected.
“ATLAS owns the building and is the landlord,” she said. “Redeemed Remnants will be a tenant. New Life Celebration Church will be a tenant. The BackPack program will be a tenant, probably a non-paying tenant.”
The distinction is important, she said, “because ATLAS doesn’t have a church.”
It’s a community-based nonprofit that “comes alongside hurting men, women and families with caring, compassionate support,” according to its website, offering “tangible assistance to those struggling with life-controlling issues through a program of resource guidance, advocacy, and mentoring.”
Redeemed Remnants has been a clear example of the mission, according to Blank.
“We are here to help people,” he said. “Certainly Redeemed Remnants does that. … People have moved into places with almost no furniture and we have furnished people’s homes. There are people with very basic needs, like a bed.”
Redeemed Remnants helps people, and it funds ATLAS ministries through its sales of donated clothing and furniture.
“We have off-site storage for donated furniture,” Blank said. “But we can’t sell what’s not on display and what’s not on site.”
That’s why the 10,000-square-foot Kawasaki building is such an improvement over the store’s previous 2,300-square foot space downtown.
“The purpose of the new space is to turn over more furniture, because that’s where the profit is,” she said. “You make a dollar on a necklace and you make $80 on a couch.”
Actually, Redeemed Remnants has already proven to be profitable selling donated clothing and furnishings to the point that it supports many of ATLAS ministries.
Now the store can do more in its spacious, sunny, south-facing showroom.
Winter said volunteers are excited about the display area, the back-door alley to accept donations in a large storage for sorting next to laundry facilities for folding and preparing items for sale.
“Right now they have to work in a little hallway, but this is the new hallway,” she said gesturing to the garage-sized storeroom area.
As a member of New Life Celebration Church, she said she’s looking forward to a more permanent worship space, even if it is rented, with a secure area for praise band equipment.
“And the days that our church isn’t here, it’s a great space to have a big gathering,” Winter said.
A stained glass window allows light to filter through the wall that divides the ATLAS office of the worship area.
“Phyllis Rogers made it for New Life Celebration Church,” Winter said. “It puts the cross over the whole space.”
Timeline
ATLAS currently rents from month to month its second floor space in the Cragoe Building on Main Street and Cedar Avenue.
On March 1, Blank and Ness will move, even if it means they work on folding tables in the new building until their offices are ready.
Redeemed Remnants sold its building on East Main Street and will move into the new building this spring.
Winter said countless little “miracles” allowed ATLAS to come as far as it has in the new building.
“People’s hearts are just open. And their checkbooks and their garage doors,” she said, estimating the project has received well over $5,000 in donated materials. “This community is crazy generous.”
Winter said people have asked about donating to the ATLAS building fund, but she steers them to Redeemed Remnants.
“The biggest way people can help is to donate their goods to Redeemed Remnants and shop at Redeemed Remnants,” she said. “As far as cash donations – we want to put the focus toward ATLAS. Because we’re not a building, we’re a ministry.”