Brandi Blom: From CORE Client to Re-Store Manager, a Memorable Journey
Meet Brandi Blom! When we sat down to interview Brandi, we didn’t expect to get a history lesson about the CORE Re-Store. By the time our meeting came to a close, we were very glad she agreed to share her story. Suffice it to say, when Brandi helped open our CORE Re-Store, the world was a different place. George W. Bush was still President of the United States, the Apple iPhone had yet to make its debut, and Bob Barker was still hosting The Price Is Right. That was March, 2007.
Times have certainly changed, but one thing has remained constant: Brandi’s dedication to growing the Re-Store from its humble beginnings into a major community resource. She’s been at the helm of the store for many years now, guiding its evolution from a small thrift store into a bustling operation with multiple locations and a range of essential services. Under her management, the Re-Store now boasts retail sites in Hollister and Branson, along with warehouses in Springfield and Branson. Its trucks travel far and wide, securing high-quality furniture, housewares, and home/office furnishings that fill the shelves and floors of its stores.
As the store manager, Brandi’s responsibilities are vast and varied.
As an example, the Re-Store is charged with furnishing every room of nineteen (19) residential facilities in Southwest Missouri – bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and baths – with everything needed to make these places livable for CORE’s residential community of more than 200 persons. But that’s just the beginning.
The Re-Store also extends its charitable reach to members of the Tri-Lakes communities. Brandi proudly shares, “When CORE clients come in, we get them established with clothes and anything else they could possibly need.” The Re-Store also supports local mental health clinics, providing essential items to their clients in need. “A case manager may say the client needs this or that, and they’re on a fixed income. If it’s something we can help with, we normally do,” Brandi explains. She also ensures that toiletries and other necessities are kept in stock for those in between living accommodations who seek out CORE’s assistance.
Additionally, the Re-Store maintains a vital medical equipment lending program, offering items free of charge and without time limits. “The hospital and health clinics use us on a regular basis,” Brandi notes. “We have items that we lend out for no charge. That’s an important resource for the local community to have.”
The Re-Store’s impact extends even further through partnerships with local school districts, providing furniture and other essentials to families and students in need. Brandi specifically told us about a recent project where the Re-Store furnished a “simulated apartment” for the Branson School District. This innovative space was created to allow students to practice independent living skills, preparing them for life after graduation.
Every year, the Re-Store also teams up with the Hollister School District for a special holiday event: the Christmas Blessing Store. At the store, set up at the school district, participating families shop for free and are blessed with household goods, toys, and clothing. Last year alone, one out of every five children in the school district benefitted from this event.
Beyond these community-focused initiatives, the Re-Store also offers a wide range of department store items at its locations, from furniture and household goods to clothing, accessories, and books. It’s a vibrant, bustling environment that serves as both a retail hub and a charitable resource, all under Brandi’s careful management.
Brandi’s journey with the Re-Store began on the very day it opened. A year later, she became the store manager. “A lot has changed since then,” she reflects.
Indeed, early on the Re-Store began liquidating hotels and resorts, and that’s when things started to take off. Although requiring continuous planning and resources, it significantly boosted the store’s growth. “I don’t know of any other operation in the county that does what we do,” Brandi says. “Our objective is not to wholesale it to other hotels; we’re offering items for resale to the community, which goes to benefit CORE’s mission.”
In 2020, the Re-Store experienced a significant growth spurt. Brandi recalls, “Gary [Osborn] was in Colorado liquidating a resort there. That’s when Cary [McKee] found the building for our Hollister store. They brought me over here and asked, what do you think? I said, I think it’s perfect. That was July, and we moved over in October. It was just a few months before Covid hit. I’m really glad they bought it when they did, because what Gary was doing in Colorado ended up filling every inch of the warehouse.”
Brandi sums up her time at the Re-Store as follows, “There’s been a lot of growing, a lot of adjustments, for the most part, and it’s been a pretty smooth path upward. There’s always growing pains.” She’s quick to acknowledge the support of her team and volunteers, especially Mila Lane and Mandy McClean, who have been volunteers with the Re-Store for many years. She also credits Gary Osborn, CORE’s Operations Manager, for his oversight and guidance throughout the journey.
But our interview with Brandi covered more than just her professional achievements. Brandi also has a personal story of recovery. Years ago, Brandi and her husband Jeremy were clients of CORE themselves. As a young couple with two children, their lives were derailed by drug use while building their first house. “We lived in a trailer with the kids and decided we were going to build a house,” Brandi explains. “But when we started building, we started using meth[amphetamines] every day and stayed up all night to work on the house. It never got done because we were high. We’d build and then start taking it apart. It was just a mess,” she says.
Legal troubles soon followed. Brandi got arrested and discovered that meth had become a real problem for her. To her dismay, she also found out that she was unable to stop taking drugs – she was powerless. Her mother came for her children, and her probation officer gave her a stark choice: rehab or jail.
Brandi chose rehab and went to the Larry Simmering Center in Branson. Then she called CORE. She didn’t have a penny to her name at that point, only a strong desire to get well. She committed to working the 12 Step program and began her path to recovery. Jeremy followed, and together, they rebuilt their lives.
Today, Brandi and Jeremy have four children. Their oldest son is a welder with two children of his own, their two daughters are college students studying to become a teacher and a nurse, and their youngest is still in high school. The couple also owns Tri-Lakes Pest Control, a service company that keeps Jeremy busy, while Brandi continues to manage the Re-Store. They make their home in Kirbyville.
After all these years, Brandi has become more than just a fixture at CORE—she’s an institution in her own right. Her unwavering dedication and the caring she brings to the Re-Store everyday have made her more than a leader. She’s become a beloved sister within our CORE family. We are incredibly proud of the life she and Jeremy have built together, and the inspiring example they set for our clients and the entire community. With everything Brandi has accomplished, we are excited to see what the future holds for her, knowing that her impact will continue to grow and inspire us all!