by Sarah Goff, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Repurpose Project
The dust has barely settled at Renovator Reuse (the third and newest thrift store), but The Repurpose Project is planning to expand again. This time, the goal is a bulk clearance store and donation processing center. Imagine clothing by-the-pound, electronics by-the-pound, and fill a bag or bucket deals. It will be one last chance for items.
The Repurpose Project hopes it will be a material supply source for artists and innovators to help us exponentially expand the local circular economy. It’s dreamy, we know. Want to help us? Buy used! Tell your friends! Hang up a flyer! Share our social media posts! We need to raise funds to afford the electrical work and permitting required to occupy the 5,000 sq ft back building (that we own!) nestled behind the newly acquired Renovator Reuse building.
The Repurpose Project is a nonprofit organization, which means nobody owns it, nobody can sell it, and all the income generated by sales goes into running the operation: wages, utilities, mortgage, rent, supplies, etc. The vast majority of material sales goes toward paying our hardworking staff a wage they can live on. When you decide to spend your money with us, you are helping to create green jobs, you are voting for an alternative retail system that values the resources taken from our planet instead of prioritizing profit, and you are supporting our efforts to innovate and expand reuse systems.
The Repurpose Project has seen rapid growth thanks to tremendous community support, a dedicated team of 40 hardworking staff members and a group of private lenders who decided to divest from Wall Street and instead loan us money to purchase buildings. Owning our properties has been a game changer for the organization with lower mortgage vs. rent, long term security without rent hikes, and a certainty that we can settle in and invest in upgrades without fear of being displaced.
Since 2012, The Repurpose Project has been working to innovate reuse systems and build a robust reuse economy that addresses all the various types of reusable material currently being wasted in our local community and it’s working!
The first store, The Repurpose Project, focuses on arts and crafts materials. The second store, Reuse Planet, is focused on traditional thrift store material like furniture, clothes, shoes, and household items. The third store, Renovator Reuse, features used building material: tools, hardware, lumber, doors, windows, etc. We have expanded hours for all stores to seven days a week from 10am-6pm, except for Repurpose Project which is closed on Mondays.
Do you want to see a bulk clearance store next? The best way to help us get there is to buy used, buy local & spread the word! The Repurpose Project is primarily self-funded, meaning our growth has come from community support by way of material purchases. Vote with your dollar! Your dollar is your power! Thank you so much for supporting us and the reuse economy!