The recent demolition of the old Wal-Mart building in Auburn brings to mind the apparent wastefulness of our community.

We, at Androscoggin Habitat for Humanity, have been looking for storage space and a re-store space, and the thought occurred that the posts and beams of the old Wal-Mart building would have made a great start for such a facility.

We don’t know how or if these building materials were recovered, but we do know that there is a lot of unused space in the Twin Cities, which could be put to great use in our efforts to provide decent and truly affordable housing for more people.

A Habitat Re-Store would sell to the public donated materials and equipment not usable in our Habitat housing construction.

The 2005 family selection process found about 20 families who would have qualified for a Habitat house. We could only build for one family.

The support we receive from the Lewiston-Auburn community, private and commercial, is greatly appreciated, but the unfilled need for space limits our efforts.

Peter van Oosten, Greene, chairman, Androscoggin Habitat for Humanity Ways and Means Committee