Community Warehouse

What Community Warehouse does

Community Warehouse is a Milwaukee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a dual-purpose model that combines a discounted home improvement resale business with a prisoner reentry program. The organization runs two physical retail store locations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Community Warehouse South at 521 S. 9th Street and Community Warehouse North at 4119 W. Green Tree Road) that sell donated and discounted new building materials including flooring, plumbing fixtures, hardware, doors, and windows to the general public at affordable prices. Proceeds from retail sales, combined with individual monetary donations and foundation grants, fund the Partners In Hope (PIH) reentry program.

Partners In Hope, launched in 2018 and modeled after Hope for Prisoners in Las Vegas, provides formerly incarcerated men and women with a structured one-week soft skills workshop covering goal setting, time management, and financial literacy, followed by mentorship, job training, housing assistance, and ongoing community support. The program reports a 96% success rate measured by graduates who do not return to prison and serves approximately 100 individuals annually. Graduates often find employment within Community Warehouse's own stores as transitional workers or are placed with employer partners such as LTL Services. Supporting program services include weekly Wednesday Night and Friday Morning Huddle gatherings, the monthly Home to Stay Resource Fair led by the Milwaukee Reentry Council, the Leap of Faith community-building event pairing formerly incarcerated individuals with law enforcement through tandem skydiving, and an annual Benefit fundraising event.

The organization derives revenue from three streams: retail hardware sales, individual donations (processed via Donorbox, Givelively, checks, and gifts of stock or real estate), and foundation grants from funders including the Zilber Family Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and the Milwaukee Community Justice Council Safety and Justice Challenge Community Engagement grant. Community Warehouse does not operate any proprietary technology platforms, APIs, or software systems; operations rely on standard point-of-sale systems, email, and SMS messaging. The organization is led by CEO Jose Hernandez, who joined approximately one year before March 2023 following a 30-year career at the House of Correction, with a leadership team that includes VP of Development David Krause and Director of Operations Classie Thompson, and a total headcount of 11-50 employees.

Name

Community Warehouse

Legal name

Community Warehouse Inc

Website

https://thecommunitywarehouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Warehouse is a Milwaukee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating two retail home improvement stores whose proceeds fund the Partners In Hope reentry program, serving approximately 100 formerly incarcerated graduates annually with a reported 96% non-recidivism rate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Prisoner Reentry Services

NAICS

Home Centers (444110), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Garage, Basement & Utility Storage Retail (Workbenches, Cabinets, Heavy-Duty Storage) (CRAIAJAH)

Keywords

• Reentry services
• Home improvement retail
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Prisoner reintegration
• Affordable building materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Building Materials: Two retail store locations sell donated and discounted new home improvement supplies (tile, flooring, plumbing fixtures, hardware) to the public at affordable prices. Proceeds directly fund the Partners In Hope reentry program.
2. Monetary Donations: Individual donors contribute via online platforms (Donorbox, Givelively), checks, and stock/real estate gifts. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with tax-deductible donation acceptance.
3. Foundation Grants: Funded by grants from organizations including the Milwaukee Community Justice Council Safety and Justice Challenge Community Engagement grant and Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Warehouse operates two Milwaukee retail stores (South and North locations) that sell donated and discounted new home improvement supplies — including flooring, plumbing fixtures, doors, windows, carpeting, and hardware — to the general public at affordable prices. Proceeds from those sales, along with donations and foundation grants, fund the Partners In Hope (PIH) reentry program, a voluntary faith-based initiative providing formerly incarcerated individuals with a one-week soft skills workshop, on-the-job training in the stores, mentoring, weekly Huddle gatherings, and ongoing post-release support.

Product overview

Community Warehouse is a faith-based nonprofit organization operating two home improvement retail stores in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, combined with the Partners In Hope (PIH) reentry program. The stores sell donated new building materials (flooring, plumbing fixtures, doors, windows, hardware) at discounted prices to fund the organization's mission. Partners In Hope is a voluntary, faith-based prisoner reintegration initiative offering a one-week soft skills workshop, job training at the stores, mentorship, weekly Huddle gatherings, and ongoing support. Key program services include the monthly Home to Stay Resource Fair, the Leap of Faith community-building event, and the annual Benefit fundraiser. The organization emphasizes Christian principles and maintains a 96% success rate among program graduates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Warehouse Retail Stores Two Milwaukee retail store locations (South at 521 S. 9th Street and North at 4119 W. Green Tree Road) that sell quality new home improvement supplies — doors, windows, tile, flooring, plumbing fixtures, carpeting, and hardware — at affordable prices to the general public. Proceeds from sales fund the Partners In Hope reentry program and the stores also serve as on-the-job training sites for program graduates.
• Partners In Hope (PIH) Reentry Program A voluntary, faith-based prisoner reentry program that helps formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society through a one-week soft skills workshop, job training at the Community Warehouse stores, mentorship, weekly Huddle community gatherings, and ongoing support services. The program reports a 96% success rate (graduates who never return to prison) and serves approximately 100 individuals annually.
• Wednesday Night Huddles Weekly community gatherings held Wednesdays from 6–8 PM at the Partners In Hope location (324 W North Avenue, Milwaukee), bringing together program participants, graduates, mentors, law enforcement, and corrections officers for a shared meal, guest speakers, and mutual support. Sessions regularly attract well over 50 attendees.
• Friday Morning Huddles Smaller, more intimate weekly companion gatherings to the Wednesday Night Huddles, held Friday mornings from 9–10 AM at the Community Warehouse North location (4119 W. Green Tree Road), providing coffee, donuts, and peer support for program participants.
• Home to Stay Resource Fair A monthly resource fair hosted at the Partners In Hope location (in collaboration with the Milwaukee Reentry Council) that provides essential resources and on-the-spot support services — including employment prospects — for individuals reentering society following incarceration and their families.
• Leap of Faith Event An annual community-building event that brings together Milwaukee police officers and formerly incarcerated individuals through a shared tandem-skydiving activity, fostering communication, transparency, and mutual understanding between the two groups.
• Annual Benefit Event The organization's largest annual fundraising event supporting the Partners In Hope program. Features presentations from supporters and program graduates to raise awareness and funds for reentry services.
• One-Week Soft Skills Workshop A structured one-week cohort workshop that forms the entry point to the Partners In Hope program, providing daily training on essential skills including goal setting, time management, and financial literacy to prepare participants for reintegration.
• Building Bridges with Law Enforcement A session component of the Partners In Hope program that fosters structured dialogue between program participants and law enforcement representatives (e.g., Milwaukee Police Department mentors such as Lieutenant Michael Dix), helping humanize both sides and cultivating mutual understanding and trust.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of Partners In Hope graduates never return to prison, demonstrating exceptional recidivism reduction.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• Impact 100notableOthersA women's organization with approximately 400 members that donated over 400 outfits, 163 pairs of shoes, 62 purses, and other accessories to support PIH female graduates in obtaining professional business attire.
• Milwaukee Reentry CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads the Home to Stay resource fair initiative, collaborating with Community Warehouse to provide essential resources and support for individuals reentering society following incarceration.
• Milwaukee Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLieutenant Michael Dix serves as a PIH mentor. Law enforcement participates in Building Bridges sessions and Wednesday Night Huddles, fostering dialogue and mutual understanding between police and formerly incarcerated individuals.
• Outward HeartminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite design company that created and maintains the Community Warehouse website.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: Habitat for Humanity ReStores operate a network of nonprofit retail stores selling donated new and used home improvement materials (flooring, fixtures, hardware, furniture) to fund Habitat's home-building mission. They are the closest direct peer to Community Warehouse's home improvement reuse-retail model, with the key difference being Habitat channels proceeds into home construction rather than a reentry program.
• Hope for Prisoners: Las Vegas-based reentry program explicitly cited as the model on which Community Warehouse's Partners In Hope (PIH) program was built. Operating a similar faith-informed mentorship, soft-skills, and law-enforcement-engagement model for formerly incarcerated individuals. Directly comparable program design and target population.
• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit operating transitional employment businesses (bakery, café, retail, manufacturing) that fund comprehensive reentry services — including case management, mental health, and education — for formerly incarcerated and gang-involved individuals. Highly analogous social-enterprise + reentry-service model, although operating in different geographies and industries than CW's home improvement focus.
• Reentry.org / Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing immediate, paid transitional employment and reentry services for people with recent criminal convictions. Operates a similar employment-anchored reentry model and serves a substantially overlapping reentry population; comparable on mission and outcome measurement, though not retail-funded.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: The largest U.S. nonprofit social enterprise, operating retail thrift stores whose proceeds fund job training and placement for people facing barriers to employment (including those with criminal records). Broader and more diversified than Community Warehouse, but the operating model — retail revenue funding workforce-development services — is structurally analogous to CW's dual model.
• Salvation Army Family Stores: National nonprofit operating a large network of thrift and donation-based retail stores whose proceeds fund rehabilitation, reentry, and social services. Broad incumbent compared with Community Warehouse's more focused home improvement niche and reentry program focus.
• Home Depot Community Impact / ReStores of Oregon: Large incumbent home improvement retailer, comparable only on the retail product side (tile, flooring, plumbing, hardware). Useful as a market-structure benchmark for the discount home-improvement category Community Warehouse occupies, even though Home Depot does not operate a mission-driven reentry program.

Regional players

• Milwaukee Rescue Mission: Regional Milwaukee faith-based nonprofit providing shelter, meals, addiction recovery, and reentry support to individuals experiencing homelessness and returning from incarceration. Operates in the same city and serves overlapping populations with the spiritual/discipleship model that underpins CW's PIH program.
• Employ Milwaukee: Local Workforce Development Board serving Milwaukee County, contracting for workforce programs and convening reentry-focused employer coalitions. Comparable on the workforce-development partner side of CW's model, often appearing alongside CW in justice-system partnership rosters.

Others

• Fatherhood Initiative / Milwaukee Fatherhood FIRE Program: Federal and locally-administered fatherhood and reentry programs serving justice-involved men in Milwaukee and other cities. Adjacent thematic peer rather than direct competitor — overlaps in target population and outcomes measurement — useful for understanding the broader Milwaukee justice-system service landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cwpih
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thecommunitywarehouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Warehouse