Here's a loving post from Keen's blog about our relationship and their support of our volunteer's toes. Click here to see the full article.
Here's an excerpt:
"We recently teamed up with our friends at the ReBuilding Center to create a boot library! The ReBuilding Center is one of KEEN’s favorite non-profits, located just a short bike ride away from our headquarters in Portland, OR. They specialize in providing reclaimed building materials at little or no cost for individuals, small businesses, and other grassroots organizations looking to complete a project. They also provide deconstruction services as a sustainable alternative to conventional demolition.
It’s run by a small staff and over 2,000 volunteers, who all require sturdy, steel toe boots when working at the center or helping with a demolition. We recently met with Sean O’Connor, the Strategic Coordinator at ReBuilding Center, who said that mandating steel toe footwear for deconstruction projects has decreased their volunteer pool. “A lot of people came in to help but couldn’t do the tasks because they didn’t have the proper footwear,” he explained."
Outreach and Strategic Coordinator, Sean O’Connor
Walking into the workroom
The handcrafted entrance made entirely of repurposed materials
We caught Mayela mid-laugh. She’s longtime employee and an expert glass cutter
The KEEN boot library at the Rebuilding Center
Leo!
Just when we thought we saw all of the center, we turned a corner and found the expansive lumber yard
Another entrance to the Rebuilding Center
A pair of KEENs on the job
Every color in the cabinet rainbow
The view of TRC along Mississippi street