Miriah Kearney Opens a Store for People With a Home – and the Homeless Too
MONCTON – My Home Apparel’s new store on Main Street, which just opened on Thursday, feels like a cozy living room. CEO and Creative Director Miriah Kearney said she wants people to feel at home in the store, which was mostly built by her carpenter husband, David.
The Truro, Nova Scotia native launched the company in August 2015 with the intention of helping solve homelessness.
“I wanted to create a business that’s socially responsible and can create an impact,” she said.
After coming up with a logo idea, Kearney began thinking of what the word “home” means.
“I feel that the word home is incredibly powerful,” she said. “You think about how valuable it is for people to have one and how horrible it is for people who don’t.”
Seeing the lack of resources and funding for the cause, the mother of two recognized the power of business in affecting change.
“As entrepreneurs, we have a lot of influence,” she said. “Homelessness is a fixable problem. I feel that together, as a nation, we can end homelessness.”
The business donates five per cent of the profits from its line of home décor and apparel to organizations working to end homelessness. So far, it has donated $22,000 to the cause.
Even before opening the Moncton store, My Home Apparel has been making cash and in-kind donations to the local homeless initiative, The Humanity Project. It’s also the Moncton representative for the Shoebox Project, a national program that provides gifts for women in need.
Last year, the company donated 100 shoeboxes to women in need in Moncton. Through its Hats for the Homeless campaign, the company will donate one hat to a person in need for each hat purchased by someone. My Home Apparel is also hoping to raise awareness by opening the store on Main Street, where homelessness is visible.
My Home Apparel’s products are also mostly made in Canada. Kearney designs the products and her team helps finalize them. With 15 employees, two stores, and one seasonal location at Dartmouth’s Mic Mac mall, Kearney remains involved in all aspects of the business.
On the apparel side, the store sells things like t-shirts, scarves, hats, sweaters, hoodies, mittens, tote bags, and socks. For home decor, it sells items like prints to hang on the wall, framed woodworks, and mugs and plates.
The short distance between Moncton and Truro is one of the reasons Kearney chose Moncton for the new location. She also sees an opportunity for growth as the municipality invests in the downtown core. Moreover, for a city that’s a shopping destination for many surrounding communities, Kearney sees a lack of independent retailers.
Kearney said the new store is a symbol of growth, expansion and belief in the business.
“I hope that Moncton takes tremendous pride in us as well,” she said. “I hope that people will bring their family and friends and that everyone can feel comfortable and at home in our store.”