When an act of nature devastates a community, securing the resources necessary to rebuild can be an extraordinary challenge. For the residents of White Sulphur Springs, a new Ace Hardware became an essential part of the rebuilding efforts.

In 2016, the town of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, was hit by what is referred to as a "Thousand Year Flood". It was an event so devastating that it wiped out most of the homes and businesses in the area.

"I’ve been through 2 or 3 floods in my lifetime, but never the force of water we saw that day," said Mayor Bruce Bowling. "It was moving houses off their foundations and cars down the creek. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced."

It was a low point in the history of the town, but its residents were determined to roll up their sleeves and rebuild. The town desperately needed a hardware store, since two stores had been lost in the flood and the plumbers and contractors who were rebuilding the community had to go way out of their way to source the materials they needed.

Charlie Hammerman, President/CEO of the Disability Opportunity Fund, got involved with the rebuilding efforts of the town. He runs a not-for-profit community development financial institution that helps fund resources needed for rebuilding efforts, including an Ace Hardware store for White Sulphur Springs.

The Ace Hardware store was established in the middle of Main Street in downtown Sulphur Springs. The store is seen as a beacon of the rebuilding efforts, and it also gets involved with community projects and philanthropy. After financing the Ace Hardware store in town and helping it open, Charlie planned to hand the store back to the White Sulphur Springs community. He found the perfect partners in the local construction team of Candace and Adam Whanger.

The store was a huge benefit to the community, and Candace and Adam helped supply the needs of the town as the rebuilding efforts continued. The downtown center went from vacant buildings to a thriving hub of activity.

"The strip that we’re on now… three years ago I could have parked a semi here and nobody would have noticed," said Adam. "Now, it’s so busy we’re lucky to get a parking space."

Thanks to the support of the Disability Opportunity Fund and the town of White Sulphur Springs, Candace and Adam now own 100% of the Ace store.

"We want to leave it to our kids one day," said Candace. "We want to leave something for them to grow, and mature, and learn."