Women in Trades Fair

On Saturday May 16th individuals from ReFind Furniture and DeConstruction services will be participating in the Women in Trades Career Fair. This great event offers an opportunity to learn about careers in construction-related trades and to participate in hands-on activities. Attendance is free and no advanced registration is required.  Read more about this event below or visit http://www.tradeswomen.net/. See you there!

WHAT:
17th Annual Women in Trades Career Fair

Come discover high-paying careers in the construction-related trades during the 17TH Annual Women in Trades Career Fair. Participate in hands-on activities such as operating heavy equipment, framing a house, climbing utility poles, wiring light switches, soldering copper pipes, welding, exploring solar power, learning about eco-roofs and many other trades related learning activities. Everyone is invited. Attendance is Free. No advance registration is required. 

Meet successful tradeswomen role models, including electricians, carpenters, heavy equipment operators, line workers, plumbers, and more. Learn about apprenticeship programs and community college programs training opportunities. 

Valerie Garrett from the Green Building Hotline will be giving two presentations on Saturday, May 16th: Green Building 101 at 10:00 am and Green Home Remodeling at 1:00 pm. 

City of Portland will have a master recycler at their exhibit booth all day Saturday offering information on recycling, composting, green building, etc. 

Attend a variety of free workshops, including five workshops focused on the green future of the trades:

1. Explore Wind Power with Local 48
2. Discover Solar Energy with NECA/IBEW
3. Tour an Eco-House with Home Depot
4. Find out about Electrogenerbike with Bonneville Power Administration
5. Learn about Eco Roofs with Greater Portland Roofers and Waterproofers 

Fair organizers have also made changes to the way the fair is run that are eco-friendly, such as eliminating hundreds of plastic water bottles and purchasing re-usable aluminum containers for water and coffee and reducing the amount of paper used to produce the event.

WHEN: 
9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday, May 16, 2009

WHERE: 
NECA/IBEW Electrical Training Center
16021 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR

Free Admission
Free parking
Free childcare
Free eco-shuttle provided from Gateway Transit Center.

Alternative Spring Break

Remember Spring Break? Traditionally known as a time for: 1) lazy days, 2) preparation for a new season, 3) friends, 4) family, 5) California/Florida beaches, 6) all around lounge time.

Well…There is now an alternative! The Rebuilding Center hosted three different alternative break groups during the month of April. The University of Illinois, Idaho State and The University of Montana all generously sent us wonderful groups of volunteers. They lent helping hands to the gradual reorganization of The ReBuilding Center’s lumber yard. They helped build racks, organize tile and supported many other on going projects.

We are so grateful for their selfless act to spend their breaks working (and learning) with us. Thank you so much for your time and efforts. Your work has truly made a difference.

Inspiration through Volunteers

A new and exciting batch of magnets have come into the warehouse…made by volunteers! They were craftily created by the students of Douglas High School’s PACE class. The students and their teacher came and scavenged for good magnet making materials. They took them back to the classroom and eureka! Magnets galore! The proceeds fund an education scholarship that helps those with limited resources attend ReBuilding Center classes and workshops.

Thank you so much Douglas High School for your innovative volunteering and beautiful magnet artwork. We are so grateful for your contribution!

In other volunteer news, Portland Youth Builders contributed this beautiful and inspirational addition to our warehouse:

“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”

Thank you PYB! You are truly an embodiment of this message.

The Gift of Volunteers

Our United Villages has been very fortunate this month in receiving record numbers of volunteers! They come from many groups and some from across the state, but they all have one thing in common: being wonderful examples of energy, inspiration and generosity!

The volunteer program of Our United Villages is thriving thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who make this operation possible. We had a record high turn out to our bi-monthly after hours event this month. We had nearly thirty attendees and we needed every one! Thank you so much to these folks from the community who believe in our work. If you are interested in attending one of these events, you can sign up on the Hands-On Portland website by clicking here.

In addition, we would like to recognize the monumental presence of the Portland Youth Builders. Over 60 PYB students and staff joined The ReBuilding Center today for several hours to help with a wide variety of projects. They sorted tile, built racking for the lumber yard, organized the miscellaneous section and mounted pictures of ReUse genius for the Community Resource Area—among many other tasks of course. We are truly grateful for their energy, spirit and willingness to lend a hand! What a great group!

Finally, we want to extend a huge thank you to the students of George Fox University from Newberg, Oregon. They generously chose to have an alternative winter break and spent it volunteering at The Rebuilding Center. The students worked tirelessly for four days organizing and salvaging materials in the warehouse. They left inspired to continue re-using and educating others in their own community about re-use.

Volunteering is a wonderful gift. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. If you are interested in volunteering either as an individual or a group please contact the Volunteer Coordinator of Our United Villages at volunteer@ourunitedvillages.org or at 503.467.4985.