ReBuilding for Justice
ReBuilding Center
Home Repair = Affordable Housing

Healthy, affordable, sustainable housing must be at the core of climate justice, and home repair moves us toward that goal. So, in 2023, we are going to start giving some of these reusable materials away!

Home Repair = Affordable Housing
ReBuilding for Justice
ReBuilding Center
Tracking our Progress in 2022

With your support, we accomplished a lot in 2022! We thought you would appreciate a Progress Report on how far we’ve come! 

Tracking our Progress in 2022
ReBuilding for Justice
ReBuilding Center
Join us to Rebuild for Justice in 2023!

Last year, we at ReBuilding Center shared how we can build on our strengths to help interrupt the environmental, racial, and economic injustice that continue to fuel our climate crisis. We invited you to join us in this work, and you did. Thank you!

Join us to Rebuild for Justice in 2023!
ReBuilding Center
Cultivating Joyful Spaces - RBC Inclusion Policy

Joyful shopping and learning experiences make ReBuilding Center a special place – for our guests, our students, our customers, and our staff, from finding exactly what you’ve been looking for (or didn’t know you needed!) to learning the practical magic of home repair. Unfortunately, it’s not always so joyful. As a result, we developed our Inclusion Policy, ensuring an environment where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and respected

Cultivating Joyful Spaces - RBC Inclusion Policy
ReBuilding Center
The Cost and Benefits of Repair Education at ...

Everyone who wants to learn is welcome at ReBuilding Center! Recognizing that cost may be a factor for some, we prioritized keeping our class prices low. As of November 1, we will be raising prices by $5 per class hour to cover the true costs of hosting in-person classes, to develop new classes, and to purchase safe and reliable shop tools. However, to maintain and EXTEND access to all, ReBuilding Center is proud to introduce our NEW Community Membership program.

The Cost and Benefits of Repair Education at ReBuilding Center

Community

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XRAY.FM Gets a Sustainable Sonic Build-Out

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XRAY.FM is a local Portland nonprofit radio station that aims to foster community involvement and development in the arts, giving Portland makers and shakers a platform to be heard and express themselves. The ReBuilding Center's (RBC) mission is to build community through reuse, and by supporting XRAY through this project, RBC is strengthening the station's capacity to do community work. Arthur Rizzotto, an engineer at XRAY.FM who is involved with the build, believes, “Community is important because it offers the opportunity to create something much larger than the individual.”

The old studio wall was festooned with a drawing of a flaming cat by famed Portland author, Chuck Palahniuk. The team is trying to figure out a way to work a into their new design.

When RBC’s Volunteer Services Manager, Dave Lowe, had a chat with XRAY.FM’s team about volunteerism, a collaborative project idea sprouted. “It’s essentially a recording studio for podcasters and bands. It has the added function of being a live room that we can broadcast from,” says Rizzotto.

With a focus on reused materials, the design features a floor made from reclaimed wood and tires. “We’ve been lucky enough actually that all the used materials have fit into our plan for the most part. We’ve had to get creative with leveling the floor since it’s all resting on tires.” Rizzotto further ponders, “Maybe we were just being overly creative in the first place.”

That creativity has fostered a strong sense of excitement and gratitude surrounding the endeavor. “I love the ReBuilding Center! I love how dedicated and enthusiastic your builders and staff are, and that you’re promoting sustainability in construction…They’ve put an incredible amount of energy, interest, and expertise into the project.” As far as the space itself once the project is complete, Rizzotto says, “It’s very special…it will be a place for people to come together to listen to and make music, and everyone loves sharing music.” 

Listen for broadcasts from the new studio in the near future at 91.1 FM and 107.1 FM in Portland, and online at XRAY.FM!

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Give, Drink, and Be Merry: ReBuilding Center Give!Guide Launch Event

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We are celebrating our first year in Willamette Week's nonprofit Give!Guide. This event is FREE and will be hosted during the Mississippi Ave Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Give, Drink, and Be Merry: A ReBuilding Center Give!Guide Launch Event

Saturday, November 26th
5:00–7:00 p.m. 
at StormBreaker Brewing
832 N Beech St, Portland, OR

Donate to the ReBuilding Center to be entered to win prizes in a raffle! There will be three prize packages:

1. For the DIY-Lover

2. A Night on Mississippi Avenue

3. Clean-Up at Spin Laundry Lounge

  • Black Spin Laundry Bag 
  • Nellie's All Natural PVC Free Dryer Balls and Scent Sticks 
  • Six samples of The Laundress specialty detergents 
  • $10 Spin Gift Card

Plus, all donors who give $25 or more will receive 25% off drink tickets.

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Hands-On Volunteer Opportunities @ RBC

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The ReBuilding Center is looking for hands-on volunteers! From helping seventh-graders design and build guitars in our wood shop, to taking photos and writing for our newsletter team, to working with salvaged materials in our store, there are so many ways to serve RBC’s mission to build community through reuse. Check out some of our current volunteer opportunities below!

Maker Space Teaching Assistants Needed

We are looking for teaching assistants and shop stewards for Adult Classes and Portland Public Schools' 7th Grade Maker Experience! If you have basic wood shop or carpentry experience, consider signing up to help with our new educational programming! These opportunities are perfect for anyone who enjoys teaching and inspiring others through hands-on mentorship. Shifts vary from project to project, and material prep shifts can be scheduled flexibly. For more information, please contact dave@rebuildingcenter.org.

Join the Media Team every Thursday

Every week, the newsletter team meets with Ashley, RBC’s Communications & Marketing Manager, to write, do interviews, take photos, and put together the ReBuilding Center’s e-newsletters! These newsletters are great portfolio/resume builders!

Our newsletter team is comprised of volunteers just like you! This is your newsletter, written by volunteers, for the ReBuilding Center community.

 Sign up if you have an interest in:

  • Photography/Videography
  • Journalism/Social Media
  • Sustainability
  • Creative Reuse
  • Graphic Design

Channel your creativity into serving our mission to build community through reuse!

Volunteer Discount for Film Workshops

Portland Community Media (PCM) is offering a discount to all ReBuilding Center volunteers! Active volunteers can enjoy 10% off any of their workshops! Not a volunteer? Sign up here!

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Nick Storie, The Man With A Vision

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You never know what you'll find at The Rebuilding Center. Just ask Nick Storie. 

There are many colorful characters amongst the regular shoppers at the ReBuilding Center. It’s one of the reasons people love this place. Nick Storie is one of those characters, and one with a story.

One wouldn’t describe Nick Storie as the retiring type, by profession or personality. He’s got opinions; and he’s had them for a long-time. When I asked Nick why he shops at the ReBuilding Center, Nick wasn’t subtle: “We’ve clear-cut every f***ing thing from one side of the country to the other. It’s gotta stop. There’s gotta be some reverence for life in all of its forms.” 

And so Nick does his part, salvaging materials, reusing materials, repurposing materials.

"My father was into heavy construction and my grandfather before him. I went into it. Started running machines at 12, 13, 14, 15 years old. Playing with bulldozers, stuff like that. I went to Oregon Tech, got into highway engineering. Ran loaders, and bulldozers, that kind of stuff. Then I got into the demolition business. We took out structures, put in temporary bridges, bridges that were coming down. I ran three different landfills. And I saw all of this s*** coming in—12x12’s—long lengths—they just got rid of them because you could buy them cheaper than you could find out where to put them. I’m thinking 'this is insane…'"

Eventually, Nick met his wife Sue, raised a family, and got into the concrete barrier business. Nick did the sales and it was easy and good money. On any road construction project, there’s a line where the barriers are placed. Nick placed the barriers where they were supposed to go. As he described it, “How could I screw it up?”

Anytime Nick and Sue made a profit, Nick plowed his money back into real estate. He had two rules: 1) it had to be within biking distance of his home at 24th and Knott in Northeast Portland; and 2) it had to be quality construction. He’d fix them up and rent them out. “It’s not like I was a genius. If I was a genius, I’d have bought more homes.”

Currently, Nick’s finishing the remodel of two homes near the corner of Knott and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The identical homes were built in 1906 but they have good bones.

"Why tear them down and build something new? Why in the year 2016 can’t we put them together so they stand another 100 years? And utilize some used and reused materials to do it. That’s where it’s at, man."

From doors to floors, windows, and appliances, Nick gets most of his materials from the ReBuilding Center. On a tour of his remodeled homes, Nick points out the various materials he acquired from RBC. “That’s your cabinet; those are your doors. See that window there? You put your desk here, and you look up through that window I bought at the ReBuilding Center and you can see the West Hills.” 

I asked Nick if he had any parting remarks. He replied, “Sure, send your kids to school. Make sure they study hard or someday, someway, they may end up like me. So mom and dad that message is for you. Send your kids to school. Get them smart, or they’ll end up like me."

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"Priced Out: 15 Years Of Gentrification In Portland. Oregon"

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Was there ever a time when some Portlanders thought gentrification was a good idea, when neighborhoods said there was too much affordable housing? 

The film NorthEast Passage documented life in Albina in the late 1990s when crime and abandoned buildings were the neighborhood's number-one concern. Rising home prices and outside investors were welcomed by many. A lot has changed for the better and a lot of mistakes were made for the worse.

Come to a screening of NorthEast Passage and participate in a panel discussion about what the lessons learned in Albina can teach the rest of the city. Discuss the issues with people featured in the film and see clips from the upcoming sequel, Priced Out.

Doors open at 6:15pm, discussion at 8pm.
Seating capacity is limited;
advanced ticket purchase is encouraged.
Thursday, Nov. 3, Nov. 10 and Nov. 17.

Screenings are a fundraiser for Priced Out, a nonprofit project in association with Northwest Documentary Arts & Media. Discussion sponsored by Ignorant/Reflections' Gentrification Is Weird project. Tickets $10–$20 sliding scale. Screenings at Northwest Documentary, 6 NE Tillamook St., Portland. For more information, email pricedoutmovie@gmail.com.

A section of NorthEast Passage and a trailer for the upcoming sequel, Priced Out, will be on display at the ReBuilding Center starting in 2017 as part of the Commons interactive kiosk project.

More info about the project:

Priced Out is an investigative and personal look at how skyrocketing housing prices are displacing Portland's black community and reshaping the entire city.  The feature-length documentary explores the complexities and contradictions of gentrification and what neighborhood life means after the era of "The Ghetto." 

The film is a sequel to the 2002 documentary NorthEast Passage: The Inner City and the American Dream.

Priced Out is currently in production with an expected release in winter of 2016/17.

A nonprofit project in partnership with Northwest Documentary Arts & Media

Two local residents, Cornelius Swart and Spencer Wolf, took five years to produce the original film.  The two are teaming up once again for the sequel.

Please consider giving to this important project by joining us on Kickstarter and Facebook.

In the late 1990s, Nikki Williams, a black single mother, embraced the gentrification that was making inroads into her community. But more than 15 years later Williams found herself one of the last black residents on her block. Priced Out follows Williams as she decides to sell her home—built by Habitat for Humanity—and move to Dallas, Texas, in search of a new black community.

Now, 15 years after the film was shot, Governing Magazine has ranked Portland as the most gentrified city in America. Nikki's neighborhood has become one of the trendiest places in the country to live. Crime is down, houses have been fixed up, and new bars and restaurants open up almost every day. But half the black population has left and average home prices have gone from $30,000 to $410,000. 

The neighborhoods of North/Northeast Portland have gone from being majority black to majority white. Rents are climbing, homes are being replaced with apartment blocks, and the word “gentrification” is on everyone’s lips.

 Why did such a dramatic change occur and what does this change mean for residents of other communities that face gentrification?

Priced Out will reconnect with the residents and activists featured in the first film to see what’s happened to the neighborhood and find out what will happen next as the community continues to struggle with its identity and its place in the American Dream.

Gentrification, once a phenomena that occurred only in big cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, is now cropping up in cities from San Antonio to St. Louis to Portland, Maine. Why is this happening?

The film will reexamine public policy and economic forces surrounding gentrification to create a time-lapse portrait of North/Northeast Portland’s rapid transformation and what it does and does not have in common to other gentrifying communities in the nation. 

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June Community Event Guide!

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Here's your guide to start your summer off right with a melange of N/NE Portland events geared towards strengthening the social and environmental fabric of community!

This weekend

This Must Be The Place: The Courtyard at One North Summer Party
Saturday, June 18, 2-6 p.m.
North Fremont & North Williams

The Boise & Eliot neighborhoods in North Portland are getting a new public space, and to welcome the community to the Courtyard, One North is throwing a summer gathering in the style of a classic neighborhood block party!

The Boise Neighborhood Association will be offering a free painting activity with paint donated from Metro and doors, windows and tiles supplied by the ReBuilding Center.

On June 18th, this community-centric event will celebrate the past, present, and future of the North Williams/Vancouver corridor with Music provided by Ural Thomas & the Pain, Farnell Newton & the Othership Connection, and Andre St. James.

Art presented by The Black Williams Project, historic walking tours given by neighborhood historian O.B. Hill, and spoken word poetry from the CENTER youth. Also on hand will be a plethora of local food and drink provided by New Seasons Market, Las Primas, Bread & Honey Café, POA Cafe and Whole Bowl!

Juneteenth Celebrations

On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers brought Texans the news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Juneteenth, the observance of that date, has become a national celebration of freedom. From June 14th – 19th join us in several celebrations in that spirit. 

Juneteenth:  Words Along the Way
Saturday, June 14, 6 p.m.
512 N. Killingsworth St.

North Portland Neighborhood Library’s annual celebration on the lawn with words and music under the skies. There will also be a performance by PassinArt: A Theater Company that will inspire us with words of African-American ancestors.  As always, we'll conclude with a make-your-own-sundae Ice Cream Social.  (So whatever you do, don't eat dessert beforehand!) The program will take place on the back lawn of the Library; in the case of rain, it will be moved to the 2nd floor auditorium.

The Clara Peoples Freedom Trail Parade
Saturday June 18, 10:45 a.m.  
Parade starts at NE 8th and Jarrett, and winds up at Russell and Williams.

We march to honor the memory of Oregon's Mother of Juneteenth, Mrs. Clara Peoples.

Bridging The Gap
Saturday, June 18, 12-7 p.m.
Legacy Emanuel Field, Russell St between Williams and Vancouver.

Fun ~ Parade ~ Community Vendors ~ Music ~ Family Activities ~ food Vendors ~ Live Entertainment ~ Kids Area ~ Hip-Hop Yoga ~ Spokenword

The Clara Peoples Freedom Trail Parade
Saturday, June 18, 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Parade starts on 8th & Jarrett, south on MLK, west on Russell

For information on For more information go to: www.juneteenthpdx.com

NEXT WEEKEND

24th Annual Good in the Hood: Multicultural Music, Arts & Foods Festival

Good in the Hood (GITH) is a non-profit organization founded in 1990.  Our purpose is to be a creative medium by which Portland residents, businesses and organizations can engage in music, food and resources while connecting people with experiences that strengthen unity in the community. The GITH Music and Food festival is the largest multi-cultural festival in the Pacific NW.  This three-day music festival opens with a community parade that travels through Northeast Portland and ends at Lillis-Albina Park.

Good in the Hood Parade
Saturday, June 25, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Parade starts from King Elementary School Park, ends at Lillis Albina Park.

Check the ReBuilding Center out on our float featuring music by Ural Thomas!

ReBuilding Center's Good in the Hood Parade float back in 2011 with Ural Thomas!

ReBuilding Center's Good in the Hood Parade float back in 2011 with Ural Thomas!

Good in the Hood Festival
June 24 – June 26
Lillis Albina Park, N. Flint St & Russell St.

For Good in the Hood's free events calendar (including a kick-off party and mixer) and to learn about volunteer opportunities check out their website:

City of Portland Sunday Parkways
June 26, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
N. Mississippi Ave & Ainsworth

Sunday Parkways promotes healthy active living through a series of free events opening the city's largest public space - its streets - to walk, bike, roll, and discover active transportation while fostering civic pride, stimulating economic development, and representing the community, business, and government investments in Portland's vitality, livability, and diversity.   

On June 26th, thousands of smiling faces will gather in North Portland to bike, walk, and roll across the double loop 9.5 mile scenic route that glides along the Willamette Boulevard and over to Peninsula Rose Garden, Arbor Lodge, Kenton, and McCoy Parks. While you are there, enjoy a spot of good food, good laughs, and good music!

Stop by N. Mississippi Ave and Ainsworth to see the ReBuilding Center in action, get free stickers and play games!

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Day of Service: RBC & AAAH help stem displacement of long-term homeowners in N/NE Portland

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The ReBuilding Center in collaboration with the African American Alliance for Homeownership (AAAH) began an inaugural “Day of Service” this last Saturday, June 11th, an event that helps stem displacement of long-term residents of N/NE Portland. Staff from the ReBuilding Center and AAAH as well as dozens of volunteers showed up bright and early on Saturday morning, coffee in hand, to get going on some home repairs for members of their community. We focused on five different projects ranging from cement pouring to yard work to house painting. It was a powerful experience to be able to talk to homeowners and hear their stories, perspective on the development of the area, and about the complexity of issues surrounding gentrification.

Ruth

Since 1958, Ruth has seen her neighborhood transition through three distinct phases. When she first moved into her home 58 years ago, she remembers the area as a vibrant community where you could find everything you needed from food markets to a 10 cent store. She then witnessed the street experience heightened crime rates due to a stronger gang presence. Now she refers to the streets as “clean” and has seen the area turn into a once again bustling neighborhood. And no, she doesn’t want to sell. Every week she receives offers, people trying to buy her home. How could she leave her beautiful lavender home where she’s raised her kids and grandkids? With age, it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with the house and the garden. Years ago, during an earthquake, the cement stairs leading to Ruth’s home broke and it’s been hard for her to get down the stairs ever since. ReBuilding Center staff and volunteers were happy to lend their skills to fill her new cement stairway.

Pat

Pat is a real firecracker. Her creative and whimsical design sensibilities show throughout her home and yard. We helped Pat with her backyard, repairing a fence that she hasn’t been able to fix because of her arthritis. Pat loves to walk and reminds us that “it’s just as important to keep your mind as active as your body when you’re older.” Pat’s lived in her house for over 42 years and can count on one hand how many long-term residents still live in her surrounding neighborhood. “Everybody’s been pushed out,” she says, “it’s strange to see how much change has happened in our neighborhood.” A perk of the new development? Pat enjoys frequenting the new restaurants popping up in her area, serving hip and affordable fare during happy hour.

Elaine & Milhouse 

Elaine & Milhouse bought their home back in 1991 and they have been wanting to touch-up their house paint for a while now. They feel like their home stands amidst the freshly re-done houses popping up next door. Within the last ten years, they say the worst part of the rapidly changing environment is the traffic on their busy street. Several parked cars have been hit. And although they’ve developed relationships with their new neighbors, Elaine says, “it doesn’t make you feel good when you don’t know your [old] neighbors anymore.” With Elaine’s full-time schedule as a care-giver, and both of them getting older, it’s hard for them to keep up with repairs. We were happy to meet some of their needs and get to know our neighbors!

Carly

Carly was the youngest of the bunch but still stood witness to the dramatic changes to the neighborhood. She says, “it’s weird, every time I even drive to the ReBuilding Center, I see new stuff. Things are popping up so fast.” She believes it’s important to keep neighborhoods diverse. She tries to see all the change as positively as she can but wishes that it didn’t mean destroying what was already there. Carly doesn’t want Portland to look like every other city. She grew up in Portland and feels like it breeds a certain kind of nutty person. With affordable housing becoming more and more scarce, she worries about our houseless populations, especially families because of how hard it would be for them to adjust. Working at Kruger Farms and doing all of her own home repairs (using almost solely materials from the ReBuilding Center), Carly’s thought about renting out her house but doesn’t have very many options to choose from. It was a pleasure to help out with a few projects that required specific skill sets, such as cementing and rerouting a drain pipe.

ShaRee

We also served another long term resident named ShaRee with her backyard. Twelve crew members weed-wacked and trimmed their way through a backyard jungle, yielding impressive results.

A big thank you to City of Roses Disposal & Recycling for the drop box, Metro for providing paint, brushes, and a voucher for the drop box at Metro Transfer Station, Oregon Deli Co. and Mississippi Pizza Pub for their generous donations to feed all the volunteers and staff, as well as Stormbreaker Brewing, who provided a nice discount for the wrap-up celebration!

The Day of Service was so successful that we would like to make it a regular event!

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Dave Lowe at dave@rebuildingcenter.org.

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ReBuilding Center x AAAH: Lending a hand to Portland homeowners June 11

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AAAH DAY OF SERVICE

SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH

The ReBuilding Center has partnered with the African American Alliance for Homeownership (AAAH) to help current or former AAAH clients who need assistance with minor home repairs. In early May, AAAH mailed out applications for the project to over 800 homeowners living within the North/Northeast corridor area of Portland and in return received multiple repair requests. The requests include projects such as tree trimming, painting a kitchen, clearing a yard, attic insulation repair, fixing a porch railing and an electrical/plumbing project.

All projects are currently being assessed by a ReBuilding Center team to ensure the right materials and skills are available to complete each task. The collaboration will be held during the Village Building Convergence on June 11th from 9am – 5pm. Fun fact: our red cob trees at the front of our building were built during one of the first Village Building Convergence events! 

Staff and volunteers will meet in the morning at the ReBuilding Center and then set out to the separate project sites. With hopes of completing all projects within the day, whatever has not been completed on the designated day of service will be completed by staff and volunteers at a later date.  

More information will be released soon for those of you who would like to participate in the AAAH Day of Service.

To lend a hand to help with these minor repairs or to learn about our varied volunteer services that range from window display design, building in our fully equipped wood shop, working with our newsletter team to working in our warehouse, please sign up to volunteer or contact ReBuilding Center Volunteer Services Manager, Dave Lowe at volunteer@rebuildingcenter.org.

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Grand Opening Event: Sons of Haiti Lodge Food Carts

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We were once at risk of loosing one of the last African American owned businesses on Mississippi Avenue. Fortunately,  the community banded together and saved The Sons of Haiti Lodge Food Carts! To read more about all the hard work and dedication that went into this effort click the following link:

Please join us and celebrate the grand opening of the

Sons of Haiti Lodge Food Carts
Saturday June 4th,
4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will commence at 5:15 pm. Local Ecliptic Brewing is donating beer, the carts will be showcasing some of their cuisine, and of course no party is complete without cake!

PDC Chairman, Tom Kelly, will attend and make a few comments as well as John Bryant, president of the Sons of Haiti Masonic lodge.

 

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What will you (re)make?

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Creative Reuse of Our Community

We want to share a few of the many amazing creative reuse stories from the people of our community. Below you will find five brief tales of how creative reuse ideas came to life.

Submit your own creative reuse ideas for 10% off your next purchase*. 

Vote for your favorite reuse idea below and the winner will receive a $50 gift certificate!

 

Desks of Doors

The new Portland team of Eugene-based tech company, Sheer ID, has a tradition of making desks out of doors, so when the company opened a new location in NW Portland, they naturally had to carry that tradition. Repurposing doors all found at Rebuilding Center, the Portland team was able to create more door desks full of character to make them feel at home in their new space.

Life-Size Lincoln Logs

A recent customer, Gary, was asked to build a play structure for his niece using pre-made plans that were purchased. Once built, Gary realized how plain the structure was and decided to repurpose some materials he found at the Rebuilding Center to give the structure a more customized look, making him a hero to his niece.

 

Rebuilding Center Facelift

This is one of the latest and greatest daylight basement projects of ReBuilding Center patrons, Ruth and Joe. Using 10+ antique light fixtures, 6 framed doors that matched the original doors (with hardware included), french doors, 3 louvered doors, clear vertical grain for fencing, a pedestal sink, a low-flow toilet, brass door hinges, and more, the pair was able to restore their second home with salvaged materials sourced from the ReBuilding Center warehouse.

Kitchen Table Fit for a Farm

Wendy and Joshua are owners of the Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge in Washougal, Washington, which is home to over 80 cute critters and now a new farmstyle kitchen table that Wendy created entirely from repurposed wood found at the ReBuilding Center.

Father & Son Duo

Mario and Teddy are frequent customers of the lumber yard here at the ReBuilding Center, collecting materials to create beautiful tables out of salvaged wood. Typically the duo sell their masterpieces but word has it they may be donating one of these beauts to the ReBuilding Center soon so keep your eyes peeled!

Get your votes in by July 1st, 2016 and a winner will be awarded a $50 gift certificate*!

Create your own user feedback survey

*Limited to purchases up to $50 - valid through January 2017.

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Mississippi Avenue Gives Back to SEI

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Mississippi Ave. Giving Day

Tuesday, May 24th

Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) is a non profit organization supporting the needs of at-risk youth in the greater Portland area. Located just two blocks off the commercial street of Mississippi Ave. at N. Kerby, SEI partners with teachers and school administrators to identify the most at risk students to enroll in the program and to then provide those students with everything they need to achieve both personal and academic success.

On Tuesday, May 24th, 55+ businesses on Mississippi Avenue will show their support for the agency by donating 10%  of all sales to SEI. The funds donated will go towards a fundraising campaign that SEI has created called 25 for 25 Giving Campaign which aims to engage 2500 individuals in making a monthly $25 donation for the next three years to directly support SEI's youth and community development programs.

Please join us at the below locations to eat, drink and shop on Mississippi Ave and support SEI on May 24th:

  • North Portland Bike Works
  • Gumbo Gift Shop
  • Another Read Through
  • Flutter
  • Black Wagon
  • Gypsy Chic
  • Jennyfer’s Boutique
  • Sloan Boutique
  • Paxton Gate
  • Reading Frenzy
  • Mr. Green Beans
  • New Vintage Beauty Lounge
  • Sunlan Lighting
  • Salty’s Dog and Cat Shop
  • Control Voltage
  • Manifesto shoes
  • PDXchange
  • Worn Path
  • She Bop
  • Rebuilding Center
  • Optik PDX - Eyeware Boutique
  • The Herb Shoppe Pharmacy
  • Animal Traffic
  • Beacon Sound Record Store
  • Ruby Jewel Ice Cream Shop
  • Grand Central Baking
  • Oregon Deli Company
  • Radar Restaurant
  • MAC! Mac and Cheesery
  • Townshend’s Teahouse
  • Spicy Spoon
  • Por Qué No Taqueria
  • Bar Bar
  • Uchu Sushi & Fried Chicken
  • Mo-beri Smoothies
  • Mississippi Studios
  • Stormbreaker Brewery
  • Laughing Planet
  • North Light
  • Little Big Burger
  • Tiffin Asha
  • Samurai Blue
  • Spin Laundry Lounge
  • Equinox Restaurant & Lounge
  • Mississippi Pizza
  • Prost
  • Interurban
  • Stash Tea
  • Blue Sky Wellness
  • Trailhead Credit Union
  • Kurisu International
  • Mississippi Chiropractic
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PPS Kids Design Their Own Guitars

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May 1st - May 8th was ‪#‎STEMWeekOregon‬, a movement to raise awareness and celebrate activities that involve technology, engineering and math (STEM)!

What better way to celebrate than to open our wood shop doors to over 170+ Portland Public Schools students to build their own three-string guitars?

Over the last two weeks we have hosted two groups of middle school students from West Sylvan and Cesar Chavez, who have engaged in a hands-on learning process. With two more block classes to come, we look forward to the opportunity to show the relevance of their lesson plans in a practical way. Using sustainable materials, the students will learn about design processes that apply to everything from architecture to software development!

Portland Public Schools is teaming up with ReBuilding Center to bring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) skills to over one-hundred-and-seventy seventh graders over the course of the month. Four groups of Middle School students will design and create their own three string guitar at ReBuilding Center and put new relevance to their lesson plans and put practical meaning to subjects learned in the classroom! If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please email ashley@rebuildingcenter.org.

We'd like to give big thanks to all of our volunteers, teachers, parents, staff, Black Book Guitars, WoodCrafters and Home Depot for all of your support to make this happen!

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With Our Own Two Hands

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We have a lot to celebrate this year. Although it did not go far enough, the Paris Agreement, within the context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, was a giant step forward. For the first time ever, a clear international commitment was made to keep a significant portion of remaining hydrocarbons in the ground. Drafted in December 2015, the agreement “opens for signature” on Earth Day—April 22, 2016. 

Community members and organizations in Oregon have echoed the sentiment of the Paris Agreement by organizing to apply pressure on decision makers to move away from carbon-based fuels and toward a sustainable future. Thanks to these grassroots efforts, last month landmark victories were achieved to keep new LNG and coal projects out of Oregon.

And there’s been good news even closer to home. In February, Portland’s City Council passed a groundbreaking resolution to make deconstruction mandatory for all homes built more than 100 years ago that are scheduled for demolition (about 33% of single-family demolitions). The process of deconstruction will save millions of pounds of valuable building materials for reuse that would otherwise be put into the landfill. This new ordinance will reduce atmospheric carbon by roughly 800 tons per year while generating 20-25 new living-wage, permanent jobs. The ReBuilding Center is thankful for all who came together to vocalize your support for this resolution. Our DeConstruction Services department is excited to grow, and our store looks forward to offering more materials to the community!

These important policy developments, from the international to the local level, did not take place because politicians decided they were good things to do. They occurred because community members worked for them from the bottom up: we organized; we applied pressure; and, at long last, politicians acted. 

In the work we do and the incredible people we encounter every day at the ReBuilding Center, I am constantly reminded of the words of Desmond Tutu, painted on the front of our building: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

We invite you to join us as volunteers at the ReBuilding Center to be part of that change you want to see in the world—only together can we can create a sustainable community, environment, and economy. And so I will close with the lyrics fit for Earth Day from Ben Harper:

I can change the world
with my own two hands…
with our own
with our own two hands

or watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEnfy9qfdaU. If you haven’t heard it, it’s a great tune. Enjoy! 

Stephen Reichard
Executive Director

It’s National Volunteer Week and Earth Day is right around the corner! We’ve got a lot of volunteer opportunities for you in these next two weeks. Here is a list of volunteer opportunities to give back to the community and support environmental protection!

Table at the Fox Tower Sustainability Fair

Fox Tower is coordinating an event for eco-friendly, sustainable and local vendors. This would be a chance for you to spread awareness of the mission and goals of the ReBuilding Center to the business community in Portland and reach a wide range of people. This event will be held in the Fox Tower lobby April 21-22, Thursday and Friday; 11am-1pm.

Get exclusive tickets to events through volunteering with Wave PDX

We are excited to host some volunteers from wave this Thursday. Haven’t heard of them? They incentivize volunteerism through events where the only way to get tickets is by volunteering time in the community. Next month, Revolution Hall hosts Kurt Vile for an exclusive concert!

Glean materials from Metro Central

Work with us to visit the Metro Central Transfer station twice a week in order to keep usable building materials out of the waste stream! Twice weekly, we are organizing volunteer opportunities at the transfer station for those interested in sustainable waste management and getting a "behind the scenes" look at how we can help!

Available on Monday's and Thursdays from noon to 3pm, this project is looking for volunteers that can dedicate multiple trips in a row. Safety training and orientation on-site will be provided for your first shift. 

Spring and Summer Internships now open!

Every year, interns with ReBuilding Center take on amazing projects with our efforts to build communities with greater social and environmental vitality. If you, or someone you know, can benefit from a 3-6 month internship or a prolonged volunteer opportunity, consider working with us! Internship opportunities include: 

  • Creative ReUse Library Curator
  • Administrative Assistant Intern
  • Volunteer Coordinator Intern
  • Salvage Specialist Intern
  • Volunteer Leader

Don't see anything that interests you? Let us know! We love to create opportunities for those committed to better world. Areas of interest where we have created internships in the past: 

  • Community Health
  • Social Justice
  • DeConstruction
  • Film/Photography content management

Monthly Volunteer Event

Thursday, April 14th, 6pm - 8pm

The second Thursday of every month is our after-hours volunteer event! It’s coming up quick, so grab your spot and get together with other volunteers from around the Portland area to enjoy a night of light-hearted material salvage. There’s a happy hour at StormBreaker Brewing to follow. Volunteers receive 25% off!

Help us reign in our Tile Area!

We are looking for a dedicated volunteer to take on our ever-growing tile area. Our wonderful volunteer, Bobby, has moved on to bigger and better things and we're looking for someone to fill her shoes. Check out the video we put together highlighting Bobby and her work with us!

The work done at the ReBuilding Center is all about creating opportunities for our community to become more equitable, vibrant, and sustainable. Volunteers like you are the backbone of our mission. If you have an interest in reducing waste, engaging in your community, and making a better world, come on out and hang with us - we'd love to see you!

 

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Vanport Mosaic is hosting a film festival in May

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The desire to come together to preserve & discuss the memories & stories surrounding the story of Vanport, as well as, learn how they’ve impacted us today is truly inspiring. Read on to see how tragedy can be a learning experience and a chance at community growth and understanding.

Talk about the building of community! “The Vanport Mosaic initiative is a response to a growing desire to honor the legacy of the Vanport community and the 1948 flood, which started an overwhelmingly homogeneous Portland and Oregon down the path toward interracial progress.” The initiative aims to document and tell the stories of those connected to Vanport.

This last month, the ReBuilding Center hosted Laura Lo Forti of the Vanport Mosaic. She led the workshop in discussion as they shared skillsets around oral history, storytelling and spoke about ethical issues that occur when telling other people's stories. They also worked on interviewing skills and video shooting. With these developed skillsets they are now ready to go out and capture the stories of Vanport.

In May, The Vanport Mosaic project will bring together many of these stories, as well as, others at Vanport Mosaic Festival 2016. This event will be held at the site in commemoration of the 68th anniversary of the flood that took place in 1948. The festival will include music, dance, theater, film, poetry, lectures, tours, an historical exhibit, and dance.

One participant in the recent workshop, Todd Fadel, summed up the experience with this statement,

“This project symbolizes and encapsulates something I’ve been trying to articulate for a decade - how can a portlander model consideration for the discarded voices of our community in a way that inspires a new thought process far from blame and guilt?”

Want to join in the discussion regarding Vanport and the Vanport Mosaic initiative? Check out their website vanportmosaic.org

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Take a Stand for Deconstruction!

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TAKE A STAND FOR DECONSTRUCTION!

Wednesday, February 17th
City Hall
1221 SW 4th Ave.

sign up to testify by 1:30
hearing starts at 2:30

In 2015, 337 homes in Portland came down. Of those, only about 30 were deconstructed. The cost to our community, and to our planet, in terms of waste to the landfill, increased atmospheric carbon, not to mention the loss of valuable materials (that could have helped build a sustainable Portland) are calculable.

·      4,800 tons of materials sent to the dump

·      7,200 tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere

·      720,000 gallons of water wasted

·      4,800 tons of materials with a market value of more than $5,000,000 that could have been re-used or re-purposed to build a more sustainable Portland

In addition, the opportunity to create dozens of meaningful jobs with good pay and good benefits is lost.  

On February 17the Portland City Council will consider a resolution that will mandate that all homes built more than 100 years ago must be deconstructed. The hearing begins at 2:30PM.

“The resolution would direct BPS to develop code language that:

Requires projects seeking a demolition permit for a one or two-family structure (house or duplex) to fully deconstruct that structure if:

1. The structure was built in 1916 or earlier; or
2. The structure is a designated historic resource.”
Demo permits per year built.

Demo permits per year built.

Individuals who would like to testify should arrive no later than 1:30PM to sign up. Testimony will be limited to no more than three minutes, possibly two minutes depending upon the number of people who would like to testify. In an effort to testify within time limits, it is recommended that those who would like to testify should limit their remarks to just one topic.

I hope to see many of you there! Join us for happy hour drinks around the corner and deconstruct the Deconstruction hearing afterwards.

Stephen Reichard
Executive Director
The ReBuilding Center

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Girl Scout's Little Libraries

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A major part of what keeps ReBuilding Center up and running are volunteers and the community itself. The girls of the Scout Troop 45642 came to us looking to achieve the highest honor a junior girl scout can achieve and ventured to find what they could do for their community.

The troops collaborated on ideas and decided to build two little libraries. They knew they wanted to use reclaimed and salvaged materials so they came to us! The girls were eager to find all the different parts they needed to build their birdhouse-looking libraries. The girls explored the warehouse looking for drawers, door hinges, knobs, glass, wood, screws, cupboard doors and other knick knacks. They were pleasantly surprised that they were able to find almost everything they needed right here in the warehouse. In the end, the little libraries were made of 90% repurposed material. During their visit, the girls were shocked to find out how many materials were saved from landfills.

Girl Scout troop 45642 were thankful that everything they had collected for their project at ReBuilding Center was donated to their project and sent us a handful of articulate and adorable thank you letters. We are thankful to them as well! Girl Scout Troop 45642 displayed what true leadership looks like by coming together as a team to accomplish what they set out to do for the betterment of their community and environment. We would like to thank the Girl Scout Troop and let everyone know that it’s volunteers and community that allow Rebuilding Center to continue to strengthen the social and environmental vitality of local communities!

Check out all the sweet letters the girls wrote us!

Hopworks Bike Bar

When it comes to sustainability at work in Portland, Hopworks Urban Brewery and BikeBar have mastered the art of healthy land and water use, as well as the use of smart energy and local ingredients. Check out their company, locations, and how you can achieve your goal of creating, or visiting a sustainable business.


Hopworks Urban Brewery is a Gold Certified Sustainability at Work business committed to sustainable building construction, healthy land use and management, mindful water use and re-use, organic and local ingredients for food and beverage production, healthy and fun work environment, excellent customer service, 100% smart energy and a zero-waste initiative. Hopworks Urban Brewery is located at 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR.

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Filmed by Bike, Portland, Oregon Film Festival Inspiring Movie Submission Opportunity!

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“WE ARE INSPIRING A CULTURE WHERE CYCLING IS WOVEN SEAMLESSLY INTO EVERYDAY LIFE.”– Ayleen Crotty, Festival Director

Filmed by Bike, Portland, Oregon hosts an annual, gigantic festival in May that you don’t want to miss! Throughout the weekend, Filmed by Bike hosts a Street Party, filmmaker Q&A sessions, dance parties, Brewery Tour Bike Rides with the Filmmakers, and award ceremonies.


“Filmed by Bike movie collections are an exciting mix of movies that showcase a true love for cycling. Everyone leaves the theater inspired to ride bikes.” - Filmed by Bikes Take advantage of the opportunity to submit your own movie (25 minutes or less) before January 20, 2016. Approximately 35 movies are featured at the Festival, and are then shown throughout the world to inspire others to get on a bike. Entry information can be found here.

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Preparing for the Trades

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- by Mercy Shammah

I had the opportunity of completing Oregon Tradeswomen’s Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program this fall. The program is called Pathway to Success and really sets the bar for preparing women to go into the trades. 

Women in a Man’s World

If you’ve been on social media in the past year, you may have noticed mini movements speaking about inequality for women. Like women refusing to move out of the way and running into men and their sidewalk entitlement.

Women who want to ‘man-spread’ instead of taking up the smallest amount of space as possible.

People want more than a high school prom queen line of questioning for our female celebrities and athletes. People are pushing for gender neutral toys because only playing dress up and brushing hair influences the scope of what girls think they are capable of decades down the line. These movements remind women that it is their world too.

How does this relate to the trades? Oregon Tradeswomen (OTI) has taught us that we don’t have to apologize for our very existence. We can swing a hammer just as good as the men because of the nature of us being human beings. Many women in the program don’t have a trades background or know anyone in the trades. The training program is an introduction to the field and more. The program goes over the rough and tough construction culture, what to expect, how to navigate it and where we can go for support when we need it. The program reminds us that we can be strong and empowered when we are on the job site surrounded by men, some of whom won’t expect much of us and others who won’t want us to be there at all. 

There are very few programs like OTI in the United States yet; women fill just 3% of all trades jobs. Through this program we learn how to find our voices, to feel confident and know that we have the knowledge to back it up. While 2015 has been a strong year in requesting social change for women, Oregon Tradeswomen has been doing this since the late 80s. 

Three Days

Pathways to Success is broken up into three days a week; each day provided us with a different experience. The first day of the week is a classroom day. These are the days where we receive fundamentals for the trades culture, learn about tools and job site safety, learn basic construction math and measurements and prepare for interviews. We get to learn more about each other and our program as we grow in to tradeswomen. 

The second days of the week are our field trip days. We are introduced to many different trades and learn the ins and outs, opportunities that are available and how much we would get paid. For many entry-level positions, the answer is: a lot. We would get paid a ton. In our training of the different trades we were provided with hands on activities which allowed us a better understanding of what exactly we would be doing. We had the opportunity to make things, use power tools and get the physical experience of the work. Enthusiastic recruiters expanded the list of possible careers we were capable of.The last days of the week were our job site days. This is where we would put all that classroom knowledge to use and get a good sense of the physical work we were getting ourselves into. These days could be very demanding yet fun. One of the biggest projects we worked on in my term was Living Cully. It was a strip club strip mall on 60th & Killingsworth that we deconstructed to be utilized for something that will better serve the community. Oregon Tradeswomen has a history in partnering with community organizations for the job site days. It is a bonus for us to be a part of something great while getting our feet wet in the trades. We were the ones who got to tear down those walls which oppressed so many women. Living Cully was just one of our projects, we participated in builds at other locations as well. 

Commitment

This program requires a huge level of commitment for the women looking to graduate. The program is three days a week for seven weeks. You have to find income sources around that schedule as well as figure out childcare. OTI is serious when it comes to timeliness. If anyone arrives late on the first day of training (or within the first week), they are removed from the program and there are a line of women waiting to take the spots of the latecomers. 

Handing in all your homework is mandatory to graduate. In addition, OTI tests on math, measurements, tool knowledge and fitness. During my term they partnered with Fulcrum Fitness to train us twice a week. This helped us become better prepared for the physical test and work. 

Oregon Tradeswomen is putting us out in the job field with their seal of approval. We represent them and we are starting off with as much knowledge and confidence as any man in our trade and then some. We are making a big commitment to ourselves. For some of us we are breaking out of our shell and accomplishing something we never knew was a possibility. For others, they are making a commitment to their children for better and more secure life.

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Home Repair Help for Cully Seniors

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Article by Annelise Kelly

For over 20 years, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. (PCRI) has reinvested in Portland’s neighborhoods, preserved their diversity and provided tools to help low-income Portland families achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

Other programs operated by the PCRI include:

  • Homeownership Education and Counseling
  • Homeownership Retention
  • Financial Wellness
  • Individual Development Accounts (IDA)
  • Youth Programs
  • Community Centers
  • Community Information and Referral Services

More info on PCRI's website →

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