With $170,000 raised, the board spearheading the effort asked the public to make one last push to make the town’s basic necessity a reality again with another $30,000.

“We’re kind of at a point where we either have to go or stop, and we’re not stopping,” said Mayor Dave Anderson.

With an already tight budget, leaders said that they will need every dollar to get the store off the ground successfully with a brand new look and management that will make shoppers want to get their groceries nearby again.

Roofing repairs, cement repairs, door openers, equipment repairs and a new point-of-sale system are just a few items on the long list that need to be addressed to get the joint back up to speed, according to Mark Egli, a member of the board. Rough blueprints reveal that plans are in place to strip flooring, rearrange shelving and paint the store to give it a “whole new look.”

While volunteers stepping up to help with many of the improvements have dramatically reduced the costs of several items — a welcome contribution — it will simply take money to get a few things done.

“Give what you can give, that’s what we’re asking,” Anderson said. “I don’t care if it’s just $20.”

The effort has had 126 monetary contributions to date since its first meeting at the end of January, most of which were smaller donations under $5,000.

One of the biggest expenses will be building a new inventory, suppliers for which the board is still vetting.

“It’s been a learning game,” said Jill Heisterkamp, executive director of Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation. “There are a lot of nuances most people wouldn’t realize are there.”

For now, Heisterkamp is drawing on the advice and experience of others in the small grocery industry to get apples-to-apples comparisons for pricing models, contracts and other elements that are necessary to consider for a new supplier.

But with the right start, she’s optimistic that the store can easily clear the $80,000 in sales it would need to make each month to break even. She said that absent mismanagement, other small grocery stores in towns similar to Manson do quite well, even turning a profit.

“I think it has to do with managing the store right with the right service,” she said. “It goes a long way when you have that good experience. You’ve got to give (shoppers) a reason to want to shop with you for the same product, and the experience goes a long way in that.”

One advantage she’s seen in Manson is that a coalition of different groups — from business and school leaders to economic development and bank leaders — has positioned Manson better for long-term success.

“I think (the money) will come,” said Anderson after addressing concerns that only 126 donors in the town of about 2,000 had contributed to the effort. “I think there’s just people that have questions. It’s such a different thing in this town, people have never been through this.”

He said he has no doubt that the money will come, even if it takes a little longer than towns like Gowrie, which raised $250,000 in about 10 days. Heisterkamp noted that the speed of fundraising isn’t as important as consistent support, telling The Messenger that efforts in other towns that have suddenly found themselves in a food desert have come slower.

She called the quick raising of most funds toward the store’s initial budget in Manson a testament to the community’s enthusiasm and networking.

Gowrie and Manson’s grocery groups have been in talks to share a manager, something that Manson said it would like to avoid, if it can afford to. The board is currently considering two candidates with substantial grocery experience and plans to interview them soon. Egli said Manson would prefer to have its own manager in the store every day to ensure smooth operations.

“We found that out the hard way with our last grocery store,” Anderson commented on the absence of good management in Heartland Foods.

In addition to finding suppliers and managers, leaders said they would soon be spending more more time in attorney offices to become incorporated, a vital first step toward being able to make payments on necessary improvements and file for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (commonly known as food stamps) and Women, Infants and Children.

With a considerable portion of rural populations like the elderly using SNAP, Heisterkamp said having it implemented before the store opens would be important. It can take up to six months to set up for grocery stores.

Money and in-kind contributions aren’t the only thing the store will be asking the public to pitch in, though. Soon, the public will have the chance to name the store as the group gains incorporation.

The public will have the opportunity to submit their name ideas through Facebook, online surveys and offline methods like paper “ballots” at the library for a chance at a prize to be determined.

“The key with this is that this isn’t going to be our grocery store,” Heisterkamp said, explaining the process as a critical part to cement community buy-in for a fresh start. “This is Manson’s grocery store.”

The board hopes to open the new store by the last quarter of the year, which is often the biggest one for grocery sales with the holiday season.

“We’re not going to open this up until it makes your jaw drop and you can’t believe it’s the same store it was before,” Anderson said. “Not a day before it’s ready, but as soon as we can.”

“I marvel at the dedication that exists in our communities, especially Manson,” Heisterkamp said. “All we need is just one little push.”

How to help

If you’d like to contribute to the effort to make grocery shopping a reality again in Manson, checks payable to Manson Grocery can be dropped off at either bank in Manson:

• Heartland Bank, 1314 First Ave.

• Manson State Bank, 1001 Main St.

Donations of any amount are welcomed. All donations, kept confidential, will be held in a pass-through bank account until Manson Grocery reaches its goal. Once the goal of $200,000 has been reached, Manson Grocery’s Board of Directors will deposit checks into a new account under an agreed-upon store name.