With so many inspirational stories (and a recent car commercial) dealing with successful enterprises beginning in garages, Tom and Rose Halsor decided to roll the dice and give it a shot themselves. Last fall, with little more than a can-do attitude and a desire to help those less fortunate, the resourceful couple launched a direct-giving charity out of the garage of their Stapleton residence.
“The great thing about this form of giving is the fact that there’s no middle man,” says Tom, who also works as a financial planner. “All we have to do is leave the garage door open for fifteen or twenty minutes and take Brody and Gus (the couple’s prize Weimaranar pups) for a walk around Central Park, and everything is picked up quietly and efficiently. Then, we assume, the products get right to those who need them. We use ADP’s, or ‘Anonymous Distribution Partners,’ for all of our pickups and deliveries. There are none of the costs or hassles involved in the traditional modes of transport or distribution that you’d normally have to deal with. And the best thing is, the ADP’s work for free. They usually drive slowly into the alley in beat-up pickup trucks to load up our possessions, and surprisingly, the neighbors and police don’t even seem to notice them.”
Among the myriad of primary-need durable goods provided by the Halsors, the most sought-after items thus far have been high-end bicycles, power tools, camping equipment, winter sports gear, car tires, strollers, and anything else that isn’t nailed down.
“We don’t even have to open the garage all the way,” adds Rose. “So if there’s rain or snow, we don’t have to worry about our garage walls or floor getting wet or dirty. The ADP’s will slide right under the door even if we just leave it cracked open a few feet and take everything we own.”
The Halsors are currently seeing massive financial losses through the endeavor, but they remain unfazed. “We didn’t get into this thing to break even,” muses Tom. “It’s a nonprofit. Do what you love, and the money will come, right?”
Adds Rose, “honestly, any time I see an economically disadvantaged individual riding a $2500 Specialized Carbon Downhill mountain bike down the street, my heart nearly bursts with the joy of giving. I did that. That came from my garage. I played a positive role in somebody’s life. You just can’t put a price tag on that.”
Not content to remain with the status quo, this entrepreneurial whiz-couple plans an expansion into lawn furnishings, grills, and sprinkler system copper piping by year-end.
“Grow the business,” Tom says with a wide smile, “that is our mantra.”
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