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Benefiting low income homeowners and the environment by providing new and re-usable building materials at an affordable price, while helping to keep our waste streams cleaner

Description:
The BME operates primarily on donated inventory which helps to keep our prices down. We are open to the general public, however if you qualify by income to be a member you qualify for our best pricing. BME has a very active inventory, changing daily. BME has over 6,000 low to moderate income homeowners as members. The BME gets donations of new products from suppliers and manufacturers throughout New England. Homeowners and contractors donate re-usable materials from residential renovations. We also do salvage jobs. Your product donations may be tax deductible, as the BME is a nonprofit under IRS Section 501(C)(3) and BME can supply a receipt for your financial records.

History:
The Building Materials Exchange was created in 1989 as a project of the Cumberland County Affordable Housing Venture (CCAHV), the precursor to the Maine Housing and Building Materials Exchange. CCAHV was created by United Way of Greater Portland, the Cumberland County Commissioners, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Portland, and the Greater Portland Council of Governments to advocate for and support the creation and retention of affordable housing in Cumberland County.

The BME was based on a similar program called the Loading Dock, which had been operating successfully in Baltimore, MD for several years. First known as the Building Materials Bank (BMB), it began operating out of warehouse space in Windham, ME in 1990, with the assistance of a grant from the Bingham Betterment Fund and a United Way Venture Grant. Staffing was provided primarily by Jesuit and VISTA volunteers. The BMB was open very limited hours and access to the warehouse was limited to homeowners earning below 50% of median income, who were living in York, Cumberland, Oxford, and Androscoggin counties. Supplemental grant funding was required to cover costs, although the long term intention was that it become self sufficient, and possibly even a separate 501 c 3 nonprofit. The BMB changed its name to the BME in 1990 to better clarify its mission.
Today the BME serves the entire state of Maine and rolls into New Hampshire. The focus of the BME has not changed from its original mission, help low income households update and make their homes safer and more efficient. In todays economy, with the rising costs of fuel and basic needs the BME is needed now more than ever.

Contact people:

Melody Eldridge, Office Manager, (phone), (email) David Zimmerman, Operations Manager, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (207) 319-7740

Address:

102 Lisbon St. Lisbon, ME 04250 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.mainebme.org

Directions:

3.8 miles East on 196 from exit 80 off the Maine Turnpike For maps or information, please see http://www.portlandmaine.worldweb.com/Transportation/PublicTransit

Miscellaneous Information

This agency has United Way funded programs
	No
The agency places volunteers in these categories:
	Families, ages 15 - 18, Court Mandated, Groups, Adults