Green

By: Alex Rhodes (ReBuilding Center Salvage Specialist)

“Green”—a word I have been grappling with and redefining for years, it seems. Most commonly thought of as a color…the color of so many beautiful plants and landscapes, but especially known in our society as the color of money. What I’ve found is that “green” is a catch-all buzzword for the movement for changing consciousness towards the environment, particularly where it relates to the economy. It is purposefully vague and has caught on in many types of industries such as small businesses, construction, technology, education, energy, and even agriculture. If you’re a company or nonprofit in one of these industries, there are a variety of incentives to market yourself as “Green.”

But what does it mean for a job to be Green? Well, let’s take for example our organization, the ReBuilding Center. We are striving to give our staff living wages, strong benefits, and a socially progressive culture in our workplace. We are strongly tied to the construction industry while being leaders in environmentally conscious practices with our deconstructions services as well as our store, both which promote the idea of Reuse. In other words, we bring social, economic, and environmental justice into our way of operating. All of this makes us the textbook example of an organization that is Green. 

The Green Workforce Collaborative (GWC) seeks to guide the most historically marginalized young adults in Black and Native communities of the Portland area into stable, decent-paying jobs. Currently, these good jobs are overwhelmingly Green jobs. As you may be aware, Black and Native people have been oppressed for way too long and we need to reverse the trend. There are traumas, lack of a positive network, and scarcity of intergenerational wealth that disproportionately follows all of us whether we like it or not.

How the GWC plans to do this is by raising environmental awareness, a skill many employers say potential employees lack. During a five-week long program that utilizes the nationally-accredited Roots of Success Curriculum (piloted in 2018), the “Green Workforce Academy” provides a down-to-earth understanding of the environmental issues that affect us all.  To bring the subject closer to home, we spend half of the program going out and meeting with potential employers to engage in hands-on events. The job doesn’t end there.  We serve as mentors as graduates transition into their new careers and provide them with references and guidance.  

As a young adult from a diverse, low-income background who has taken the unbeaten path of studying the issues around the environment, working at a Green job such as with the ReBuilding Center, I have never been so certain of the direction I’m headed. Understanding the bigger picture of how the environment affects us has played a central role in changing my life. I can already see it starting to change my peers participating in the Green Workforce Academy program. Participating in this project has been deeply fulfilling, and I foresee the Green Workforce Collaborative having the potential to be a model in job creation moving forward as the Green wave rolling over our country brings about an economy that reflects the realities of our environment.

"Over a Decade" of Relationship Building and Waste Stream Diversion

By: Leif Amundson (ReBuilding Center Assistant Store Manager)

I can’t say how long I’ve worked here—that is like telling people how old I am. Let’s say I’ve worked here for “over a decade...”

I saw a Craigslist ad for a driver at the ReBuilding Center. It stood out because I had a friend that had been talking this place up, so I applied and was hired. This place was nuts back then—everything was thrown together. It was very much a grassroots nonprofit, but there was still a lot going on.

Being on the driving team was super-fast paced—we were a scrappy group of drivers working hard to get as much material in as possible each day. I really enjoyed being on the road, doing my best to salvage everything we could, while also educating the public. There is a lot of relationship building involved in our jobs. It is really important to educate on reuse and how we do things at the ReBuilding Center. The whole process is very dynamic. We have to understand what people want to donate, but also what people want to buy to reuse. I am constantly working on understanding this dynamic. There can be a lot of managing expectations, but we are able to get so much more after working on building relationships with the public.

It is also really rewarding to salvage lumber with our DeConstruction team. We are able to not only save forests, but also give people the option to be as green as possible. If we weren’t here, so many more lumber products would be in the landfill. I really enjoy being a part of the collaboration that it takes to bring in all of these materials.

I’ve worked in many positions since I was hired as a Driver “over a decade” ago—Driving Department Assistant Manager, Driving Department Manager, Driver (again), Assistant Manager, and now Assistant Co-Manager in the store. The coolest thing about our store is the affordability. Earlier today, a customer was here on a budget. He bought a perfect-condition light fixture and a sink for only $38. He would have paid three times that for something new from another store. I love that we provide affordability to the public. It’s fun to have nice and vintage items, but at the core of it, we have affordable items. We’re keeping materials out of the waste stream and helping people save money.  

In regard to the health of the store, I do worry about the changing face of Portland and people’s willingness to use marginal building materials for remodels and for the real estate market. I don’t want to focus only on money, but the wealthier Portland gets, the harder it will be for us to survive. For example, we used to have a lot of customers who were property owners. Many of these customers have turned their properties into much higher-end places, so we aren’t seeing them shopping here as much. This is why it’s important for us to continue to reach out to Portland communities who could benefit from what we provide. Our customer base may always be changing, but I think there will always be a need for what we do. It gives me hope that we are a valued Portland institution, and I think our culture of waste stream diversion is really important.

Our awesome and dynamic staff also gives me hope. My coworkers are like family. I have known so many of them for such a long time. Even the new staff - it’s nice because most people stay around for a while. We all know each other really well. I love the independence we are able to have in our work. I like where we are with the co-leadership model and the intention to be transparent through the entire organization. We just need to keep on keeping on with the things we are good at. We should continue to refine what we do, educate the public, and make sure we have a strong presence in the community. If we do this, we’ll remain a valued place for salvaged materials and waste stream diversion.

Community Opportunities

There is never a lack of activities and opportunities happening in our community. Below are just a few we recommend checking out!

Upcoming Repair Fairs

Reuse your old things by getting them repaired by volunteers! There will be people that can help with small appliances, electronic toys, clothing, and jewelry!

Repair Fair @ PlanetCon - Quatama Elementry (Hillsboro) | January 12th

Repair Fair @ Lake Oswego United Methodist Church | January 12th

Repair Fair @ Cedar Mill Library | February 2nd

NECN Community Grants

Northeast Coalition of Neighbhorhoods and the office of Civic and Community Life partner to provide grants to neighborhood and community organizations working to make NE Portland a stronger, more inclusive community. The deadline to apply is January 15th. Learn more, here.

Portland YouthBuilders

Portland YouthBuilders provides job training in construction or technology and assistance in finishing high school for those ages 17-24. Learn more about PYB and their Construction Bridge Program, here.

GLEAN Art Program

GLEAN is a five-month long program that invites artists to push the boundaries of material exploration. GLEAN is sponsored by Recology, Metro, and crackedpots. The deadline to apply is January 31st - learn more, here.

Youth Environmental Job Fair

Organized by the Youth Mentoring Collaborative, the Youth Environmental Fair will have hundreds of jobs for ages 14-25. Prep your resumes and learn more, here!

DeConstruction Highlight: Living Cully

A couple years ago, the Sugar Shack strip club closed, and the property at the corner of Northeast Cully Boulevard and North Killingsworth Street went up for sale. It was purchased by a group of community organizations who did not have a plan, but knew they wanted to transform the crime-ridden property into a space to cultivate community. Over time, the site was named Living Cully Plaza, and a plan was created through a collaboration spearheaded by Hacienda Community Development Corp. to build affordable apartments. During the time of planning, the property was immediately transformed into a community space used to organize the Cully community.

The ReBuilding Center is one of many organizations who are involved in the Living Cully Plaza project. Our DeConstruction team was on site for a lumber skim, and the reclaimed lumber was brought to our store. Additional deconstruction took place by other organizations, with many materials going back into the Cully community for reuse.  

In early December, members of the Cully neighborhood and the Living Cully Community gathered to celebrate the Sugar Shack demolition. Many stories were told about the community’s ability to rally together and create change in the neighborhood. This project has been many years in the making, with an incredible amount of people and organizations dedicated to make a positive difference with the property.

To follow along with Living Cully progress, check out the Living Cully website.

The Impact of a Door

The ReBuilding Center welcomes requests for donations of used building and remodeling materials from grassroots projects and organizations that are inclusive and directly benefit the local community. One of these organizations, Community of Hope, located in North Portland, serves homeless, single-parent families. They provide shelter, classes, mentoring, and community life for 4-6 months while families heal from past trauma, build skills, and find stable jobs and homes. We recently caught up with Linda Jo, Community of Hope’s Program Director, to find out how a small donation has made a material difference at Community of Hope.

Community of Hope used wood facing and hinges we donated to help repair and stabilize bedroom doors. These small materials make a huge difference at their facility. Many of the families they serve come from living in an unconventional space, so having private space with a locking door is very significant. It helps to provide the families a sense of safety and gives them a secure space in which to leave their belongings.

Linda Jo explained Community of Hope’s awareness of the impact they have on the environment:

We want to make as small a carbon footprint as we can, and we want to get the materials we use as inexpensively as possible. Reusing materials is both cost effective and keeps things out of our landfill. We feel good to be part of the community who makes our world a better place in terms of environment as well as the people who live in it.

Check out these photos provided by Community of Hope. They have repaired the wood facing and hinges; paint is the next step. A huge thanks to Linda Jo and Community of Hope for sharing their story!

Today's Finds: January 2019

Today’s Finds is a weekly collection of some of our favorite items from the ReBuilding Center store! Are you signed up to receive the Finds via e-mail? Sign up here or, if you already receive our newsletter, update your preferences in MailChimp.

• View the January 3rd finds, here.

• View the January 17th finds, here.

• View the January 24th finds, here.

• View the January 31st finds, here.

Did you see an item on the Finds and claimed it for your own? We love seeing your reuse projects! Share with us at info@rebuildingcenter.org.

Today's Finds: December 2018

Today’s Finds is a weekly collection of some of our favorite items from the ReBuilding Center store! Are you signed up to receive the Finds via e-mail? Sign up here or, if you already receive our newsletter, update your preferences in MailChimp.

• View the December 13th finds, here.

• View the December 20th finds, here.

Did you see an item on the Finds and claimed it for your own? We love seeing your reuse projects! Share with us at info@rebuildingcenter.org.

Bay Area Salvage

 By: Chris Larsen (ReBuilding Center Process Improvement Coordinator) 

During the recent Thanksgiving break I had the opportunity to tour some of the Bay Area’s largest salvaged and reused building materials stores.  The reuse store landscape in the Bay Area is an eclectic mix of for profit and nonprofit organizations of a wide range of scales and with varied specialties. All the organizations I visited are united through the sale of used building materials and all have operated for over twenty years.  Here is a small snapshot of the Bay Area’s salvage landscape, which serves as information and inspiration for the ReBuilding Center’s operations in Portland:

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This and That Building Materials

• For Profit

• Founded: 1997

• San Pablo

Mission: “We are committed to preserving reusable building materials and offering them to our customers at a fraction of retail prices. Reduce Reuse and Recycle”

This and That Building Materials is an unpretentious, no frills, salvaged goods retailer. The organization has a huge stock of almost every building material imaginable. The stock is generally relatively common goods, with occasional high-end and antique materials. The organization is unique in having a dedicated employee and the accompanying machinery to produce new custom door jambs for used and new doors. Although for profit, the store had a decided community feeling with folks chatting and catching up while others were shopping around for the next deal.

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Urban Ore

• For Profit 

• Founded: 1980

• Berkeley 

Mission- “To end the age of waste”       

“If you're not for Zero Waste, how much waste are you for?”

Urban Ore is a Berkeley institution. The organization is beloved by Bay Area residence and is one of the largest salvage organizations I visited. Urban Ore runs a diverse business, selling reused building materials as well as antiques, home goods ranging from clothing to kitchenware, and arts and media ranging from books to creative reuse arts materials. The organization has a dedicated receiving department for sorting items before they reach the public, a metals recycling facility as well as a partnership with the local transfer station to allow gleaning of materials prior to disposal.

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Ohmega Salvage

• For Profit

• Founded: 1974

• Berkeley

Mission- “Ohmega Salvage builds community through commerce by being a model of reuse, recycling and social exchange. We preserve old-quality items and resources for our customers.”

Ohmega Salvage is another such Berkeley Institution, perhaps even more so being founded in 1974. The organization appears in such famous counter cultural books as Lloyd Kahn’s alternative architectural work “Shelter”. Today the organization primarily deals in genuine antique and vintage architectural salvage, ranging from mantles and stained glass windows to door hardware and clawfoot tubs. They also do extensive rewiring of quality light fixtures.

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Building Resources

• Non-profit

• Founded: 1994

• San Francisco

Mission- “Building Resources is a not for profit organization dedicated to providing our community with low cost high quality materials, in a friendly, clean and organized setting.”

Building Resources is San Francisco’s only non-profit salvage store, and may be the singular affordable option for salvage in the City. Building Resources runs a small yard of diverse building salvage as well as an alternative glass recycling program making tumbled art glass, as well as housing an art gallery. In San Francisco’s increasingly dense, high-priced and fast-paced market, Building Resources stands as a beacon of equality, affordability, environmentalism, and creativity within the city.

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The ReUse People

• Non-profit

• Founded: 1993

• Oakland

Mission- “The ReUse People reduces the solid waste stream and changes the way the built environment is renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for reuse”

The ReUse people is a national organization doing deconstruction and sales of used building materials. It is also the cliffhanger in my visit to the Bay Area, as I did not manage through a combination of traffic and altered holiday hours to get into the store! So more to look forward to seeing soon.

Recycling Kindness

By: Ella Rose Kelly

This April 11th will be 14 years at the ReBuilding Center, and I am so diggin’ on it. In addition to this job, I’ve had 72 other jobs in Portland—25 years of construction work, a fire watch, and many cashiering jobs. This is my favorite job.

It’s a bizarre story of what led me to work at the ReBuilding Center. I had been cashiering for a while at Big City Small World Produce, and there was a young lady, Nora, who bought food there all the time. She worked at the ReBuilding Center. One day, Nora overheard me telling someone I needed a second job because I was buying a house. She said that the ReBuilding Center was hiring, so I came down and applied. I was looking for a job, but this job came and got me.

I haven’t always loved my jobs, but I always like them. You don’t always feel good when you start a job—you might be uncomfortable because of the unknown. But once you know it becomes a part of you and you can work it. I had already been a customer at the ReBuilding Center before I started working here. I was always impressed as a customer because the ReBuilding Center was the place to come to find what you need at a reasonable price. When I started working here, though, it was my first time learning about reuse and sustainability. I was nervous about learning everything that we do here. It was hard learning… but just like riding a bike—once I learned, I never stopped. I’m all about saving the Earth now. It’s part of my being.

Because of my past jobs as a cashier, I was already familiar with meeting people. Meeting people is right up my alley. I get to meet phenomenal people from all over. I like to be personal with customers because our community is like family. I help them with ReBuilding Center questions, but I also ask them how they are doing. I encourage them when they are hurting. Sometimes customers come in sad, but leave happy. That means something to me. That’s not recycling wood, that’s recycling kindness. We all have goodness to share and an ability to show love. The more goodness we share and love we show, the better we can make the world.

Andrey Interviewing Ella Rose

I am very proud and honored to be an Assistant Store Manager. I was nervous at first, but I am getting more familiar now. I am learning things one at a time and walking the walk. It’s important to be there for our co-workers and that is what I have always tried to do. As an Assistant Manager, I have been a part of the Executive Director search. I am excited to participate. It’s a learning experience and it’s a good experience I am diggin’ it. I believe the most important quality for our next Executive Director to have is heart. They need to have the heart of the people, the heart of the employees, and the heart of the community.

What we do—we’re bad to the bone, we’re amazing. We give back to the community. We are a monument and we are here to stay. Sometimes I worry that we will lose guests because of issues, like parking or new buildings, but no matter what, the guests will still come. What gives me hope is hearing our guests say, “I’m glad the ReBuilding Center is here. I’m glad you aren’t leaving us.” My advice to us is to be encouraged and to never give up. We must stand our ground and keep supporting the sustainability cycle. Doing this will benefit the Earth. And when we save the Earth, we save ourselves.

I love this place… I really do. The ReBuilding Center is my family.

Student Spotlight: Lynne Caldwell

By: Aaron Green

On occasion, our ReBuilding Center education staff has the privilege of receiving feedback from former students who let us know what they’ve been up to since taking a class with us. Sometimes those students are first-timers, and other times, as in Lynne Caldwell’s case, they’re six-time returning students. Wow! We asked Lynne if she’d be willing to let us interview her for our newsletter, and thankfully, she agreed! We hope you enjoy her story and find as much inspiration from it as we do.

A few years ago, before taking any carpentry classes with us, Lynne remembers wanting to try to build garden boxes. After selecting a few eight-foot boards from Home Depot and having them cut down to size, she grabbed her drill and got to work.

But, as she recalls, “I had no prior training… I had only used a hand saw but never a power saw of any kind.” Lynne did accomplish assembling her garden boxes, but afterward, she knew that having even a little more knowledge and access to power tools would propel her confidence forward during her next project.

Today, six classes with the Education team later, Lynne reflects, “I have learned so much from these classes from simple things, like why the little metal end is on the tape measure, to big things like becoming confident using a miter saw. The miter saw education and confidence has been the biggest thing for me and has made a huge difference in the projects that I feel comfortable trying.”

Lynne has gone on to build benches for her home, a work table for her garage, and she even replaced her garbage disposal after taking one of our Plumbing Basics classes. “One of my proudest accomplishments was replacing our garbage disposal… This is something that I have paid a handyman to do in the past, and I did it myself. And no leaks!”

Recently, Lynne built her very own coffee table out of a salvaged slab of basketball court wood. A self-proclaimed semi-regular at the ReBuilding Center, Lynne noticed a few big sections of basketball court material in the lumber yard one day. “I love basketball,” she tells us. “But I couldn’t think of what to do with the big sections. Then…I found smaller pieces broken down with the other flooring [and] I decided to try to make something.” Wanting the colored stripes natural to the old game flooring to show, Lynne did little to strip the wood after she got it home. She tells us that she miter-cut four pieces of wood to make a frame, and then glued those pieces together around the flooring. A couple layers of polyurethane later, and Lynne had herself a fantastic new table, made completely by herself.

When we asked Lynne what she might get up to next, she said, “I am always trolling the RBC for ideas [but] I plan to build a martial arts belt display for my son.” Lynne says she’s also working on a large bench for her porch. “I plan to add cushions too so that I can take a nap. Covered porch napping bench!”

We also asked Lynne what’s brought her back to the shop for classes so many times. She nearly brought us to tears when she said, “The instructors are really wonderful! I can’t say enough about how welcoming and patient they are. They show enthusiasm for their work, and they aren’t judgmental with beginner’s questions. As a middle-aged woman I was afraid of feeling intimidated in seeking out beginning educational opportunities in using tools. [These] instructors have always been super pleasant, organized, patient, and encouraging.”

Thanks, Lynne! We can’t wait to see pictures of your son’s martial arts belt display and, of course, the napping bench! We hope to see you in the shop again soon.

Today's Finds: November 2018

Today’s Finds is a weekly collection of some of our favorite items from the ReBuilding Center store! Are you signed up to receive the Finds via e-mail? Sign up here or, if you already receive our newsletter, update your preferences in MailChimp.

• View the November 8th Finds here.

• View the November 15th Finds here.

• View the November 21st Finds here.

• View the November 29th Finds here.

Did you see an item on the Finds and claimed it for your own? We love seeing your reuse projects! Share with us at info@rebuildingcenter.org.

Give!Guide Announcement

Dear Friends, Neighbors, Family, and ReBuilders:

The ReBuilding Center has once again been selected to be a part of the Willamette Week's Give!Guide, a local effort that aims to highlight and support amazing Portland nonprofits by leveraging year-end giving.

How does it work?
Give HERE to the ReBuilding Center between now and December 31. Donations of $100 or more are matched 1:1 by our business partners, ¿Por Qué No? Taquería and Mississippi Pizza!

You will also be entered to win gift certificates to spend at the ReBuilding Center, either to attend a DIY class or to shop at our Store. And, if you're 35 or younger, you get a free pint from StormBreaker Brewing!

But wait, there's more!
If you donate on Big Give Days, you'll be entered to win HUUUGE Give!Guide-sponsored prizes like finger-licking ice-cream parties, luxurious shopping expeditions, spectacular getaways, VIP entertainment packages, and much more! 

Are you in?
Every dollar you donate from now until December 31 will help the ReBuilding Center keep tons of materials (literally!) out of the waste stream and in community hands; offer more and more relevant classes to makers, creators, and homeowners; support the building of more tiny houses for our houseless neighbors; continue creating pathways to green jobs for folks who have been excluded from making a living in the trades; and so much more. 

We thank you in advance for your ongoing support; without it, we couldn't do what we do every day. 
 

P.S. The ReBuilding Center is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization,
so all of your donations are tax deductible.

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

By: Andrey Bodnar

It all started off with the train being in the way. It was a Saturday and I was excited get to work for a special assignment, so I left my car at New Seasons and looked for Alison in front of OnPoint Community Credit Union’s new location.

Our mission was to pick up a donation check from OnPoint Community Credit Union, because they selected the ReBuilding Center to honor us as part of their Grand Opening celebration on Fremont and North Williams.

We talked with the OnPoint Community Credit Union team members and they told us about their work, and about how proud they are to work there because of all they do for the community. We shared about our work at the ReBuilding Center and what we do, from helping with houseless villages to Girls Build to our Day of Service. We also talked about all the building materials that flow through the ReBuilding Center and get diverted from the waste stream.  

There was even a face painter there… Alison and I talked about it and decided: “Sure, let’s do it.” So, we got our faces painted!  

After that, we went inside, and they presented us with the $1,000 check and took our pictures. We talked about the possibility of their staff coming here to volunteer, and I shared the idea that maybe some of our people to get a behind-the-scenes look at the banking world!  

Afterward, Alison and I walked back to the ReBuilding Center to put the check in the office for safe keeping until Monday.

Engaging with different businesses in the neighborhood is important, because the more connections we make, the better. Sure, this kind of outreach helps with fundraising, but more importantly it brings us together. The more we all know about each other’s organizations, the more we can accomplish together.

They were an amazing team, who clearly loved working there and it felt good being around. For the rest of the day I walked around with a dragon on my face!

Music + DeConstruction Intertwine

By: Mike Richards

According to Douglas, I’ve been here 13 years. I originally took the job because I needed to pay my mortgage. I used to work with contractors, and we did a lot of bad things. I didn’t know about asbestos… nobody said anything about dangers. I came here with that same mindset, but the site manager said: “STOP! That’s asbestos!” I was trying to shake this furnace apart and I thought I was doing my job. That was the first time anyone had explained it to me. That opened my eyes.

And then the part where we save stuff instead of trash stuff. At my past job, we’d be taking stuff apart – a beautiful cabinet – I’d say: “don’t you want to keep that?” And my boss would say: “no, I don’t work with used material. It takes too much time to work with.” I didn’t really become conscious of this stuff until I came to work at the ReBuilding Center. In my old job, we sent so much to the landfill that could have been saved. Here I got to thinking about it and then I started feeling guilty about all the waste.

I think the ReBuilding Center is going to keep striving forward. People get a little uptight about change. It’s a scary thing for most of us. I’m a musician and I used to be afraid of computers. Now I have a computer, and I do all my music on a computer. It’s going to work. Keep our heads up. Work together. If there’s a storm, we just work through it together. We have a strong team of people.

Let’s put it this way: I came up here from Chicago at the age of 11. When I was in Chicago I was exposed to some of the best musicians in the world without knowing it. People in the park, walking by clubs…when I moved to Portland, I got to play the guitar in church. The pastor said he would teach me but only if I would play in church. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that because I wanted to go big time. He said you could be big time in the Church. I liked our pastor but he scared me.

In the 6th grade, I had an acoustic guitar and I started taking lessons but I didn’t like where it was going. Now I look back and it was going in a good place. My teacher couldn’t play any BB King – he was trying to teach me notes and to sight read, he started me out with Jingle Bells. I was a guitar player before I actually played the guitar. I used to tell people I was a guitar player before I had ever touched one so then I had to rise to the occasion. I used to knock on the doors of all the best guitar players in town and get them to show me how to play. At 12 I started my own three-piece band. At our first gig, nobody sang, so I just made up a song. Pay backs the Dog! After that, people would always say that when they saw me, like in the grocery store: Pay backs the dog! They would sing my own song back at me.

I’m into vintage instruments. Wood that’s over a hundred years old doesn’t just have a look quality to it, it has a tone quality. After getting into vintage I never wanted a new guitars. It’s only now that new companies are trying to go back and make instruments that sound more like vintage, using vintage wood, hand building. A few years ago, Gibson got in trouble for using rosewood from the rain forests. Good wood is harder and harder to get, so when we’re deconstructing I’ve got a love for the wood. I light up when I see it. I say: “look at all those guitars.”

Creating Meaning with Materials

By: Alexandra Ferrara

In an effort to realize our mission of making a material difference, the ReBuilding Center donates reclaimed building materials to like-minded local organizations and projects. You can learn more about that here. One of these projects includes Agape Village, a village for the houseless in Southeast Portland.

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On a dreary afternoon, I hop into our newly wrapped box truck with Alberto at the wheel. We spot Jon in the big truck just up the road on North Mississippi Avenue, ready to lead the way. In our trucks we are carrying wooden and metal cabinets, reclaimed lath and lumber, and about half a dozen TriMet bus stop roofs.

As we inch slowly east on I-84 with rain splashing on the windshield, I cannot help but feel incredibly grateful for my job and the opportunities to witness the ways in which materials can have such a large impact in our community. Our store on North Mississippi Avenue is a magical place to be, but I find it just as special to follow the materials from the store to their new homes away from the ReBuilding Center.

Agape Village was born through the efforts of Central Church of the Nazarene and their houseless neighbors. The village resides along a hillside adjacent to the church. As Alberto turns the corner of the parking lot, we make our way up the hill to a breathtaking view of the autumn trees over I-205. As our eyes shift up the hillside to the village, we marvel in its innovation. There are all different types of homes, made from all sorts of materials. Alberto “wows” at a semi truck trailer converted into a tiny home—it is clear that creativity and resourcefulness found their place at this village.

In true Portland fashion, the rain does not put a damper on anyone’s spirits or motivation to get a job done. We meet up with an Agape Village volunteer and resident in the newest cluster of homes currently being built. They start unloading materials with the help of Jon and Alberto, while I have the easy task of snapping some photos.

As I look back at these photos, I see the power in our community’s ability to create meaning with materials. I hope you see the same. To learn more about Agape Village and how you can get involved in the community project, click here.  

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Today's Finds: October 2018

Today’s Finds is a weekly collection of some of our favorite items from the ReBuilding Center store! Are you signed up to receive the Finds via e-mail? Sign up here or, if you already receive our newsletter, update your preferences in MailChimp.

• View the October 11th Finds here.

• View the October 18th Finds here.

• View the October 25th Finds here.

Did you see an item on the Finds and claimed it for your own? We love seeing your reuse projects! Share with us at info@rebuildingcenter.org.

Upcoming Community Events

There is never a lack of activities happening in our community. Below are just a few we recommend checking out!

Priced Out: Gentrification in Portland, Oregon Documentary Screening

• Date: October 8th

• Time: 6:30PM - 8:30PM

• Location: Q Center Auditorium

The Q Center is hosting a screening of the documentary, “Priced Out”, with a discussion to follow the film. “Priced Out” is an investigative and personal look at how skyrocketing housing prices are displacing Portland's black community and reshaping the entire city.

BIG October Planting Party

• Date: October 13th and 14th

• Time: 10:00AM - 2:00PM

• Location: Boise Eliot Nature Grove

The Boise Eliot Nature Grove is has over 500 plants to put in the ground and needs your help! Check out their website to sign-up to volunteer.

Alberta Abbey Neighborhood Party

• Date: October 13th

• Time: 10:00AM - 10:00PM

• Location: 126 NE Alberta Street

Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives is hosting an Alberta Abbey Block Party featuring food, art, performances and vendors from NE Portland’s King and Humboldt neighborhoods. All are welcome!

North Portland Tool Library

• Date: October 16th

• Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

• Location: Historic Kenton Firehouse

Repair PDX is partnering with the North Portland Tool Library to be on hand to repair your broken small appliances, bikes, garments, and other textiles.

Oregon Archives Crawl

• Date: October 20th

• Time: 11:00AM - 3:00PM

• Location: Start at Oregon Historical Society, Multnomah County Library, or City of Portland Archives and Records Center

The Oregon Archives Crawl is back! Portland-Area Archives is partnering with over 30 locations to showcase how communities, beliefs, practices, and preferences have changed over the years.

Lost City, Living Memory: Vanport Oral History Screening + Exhibit

• Date: October 21st

• Time: 3:30PM - 5:00PM

• Location: PSU Smith Memorial Student Union

Join the The Vanport Mosaic for a screening of “Lost City, Living Memories: Vanport Through the Voices of Its Residents” with special guests including former Vanport residents.

Family Photos and Community Memory

• Date: October 28th

• Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM

• Location: North Portland Library

The Black Life Experiential Research Group presents Family Photos and Community Memory to share photos, stories and conversation around the beauty and importance of family photography and community memories. For more information, send an email to blacklifeERG@gmail.com.

Driving Ride-Along

By: Alison Dennis

This past month I had the opportunity to ride along with our Driving team, and see the ReBuilding Center from the vantage of a passenger’s seat.

The first stop was at a warehouse in North Portland to pick up a large furniture donation. The warehouse crew fork lifted pallets of boxes and we moved them onto the box truck. What struck me as we worked was how much life and camaraderie there was among our team, and that the people working in the warehouse seemed to light up in our driving team’s presence.

Take away: No matter who is on shift, it feels good in our store. I’ll never take that feeling for granted – the feeling of working somewhere where people lift each other up.

During the day I got to ride along with both Jon and Alberto. Jon talked to me like a taxi driver as we drove, and asked me some of the most thoughtful questions that I’ve been asked about my work and life in a long time – the kind of questions that struck a nerve and moved my thinking forward. There is both an ease and a diligence to the way Alberto drives, like a great dance partner who somehow manages to gracefully steer clear of other couples on the floor.

Take away: Leadership isn’t dependent on a job title, or having a desk job. Taking an active interest in our fellow people and listening fully is an act of leadership. Looking out for everyone around you is an act of leadership.

In the afternoon, we took both trucks to Northwest and collected some old doors, lumber and lighting fixtures from the basement of an apartment building. 3000 inspected each of the lights with care, and took time to show the owners (and me) some asbestos in one of the fixtures. His tone was polite and helpful, and we all left the exchange safer and smarter.

Take away: Our community work isn’t limited to special events and parades. All day, every day, our drivers are out and about, serving of ambassadors and inviting everyone to make a material difference together.

Thanks to Alberto, 3000, Jon and Josh for making me feel so welcome, putting me to work, and keeping me safe!

Alberto Makes It Look Easy

3000 Stops to Smell the Roses

Jon & Arsalan Talk Logistics

Surf's Up!

Where Does Your Donation Go?

By: Ian Hayes

What happens after you donate something to the ReBuilding Center? Well, sometimes, we donate it right back to someone else! The ReBuilding Center welcomes requests for donations of used building and remodeling materials from grassroots projects and organizations that are inclusive and directly benefit the local community. So far, we have donated materials to over a dozen of these projects in 2018 alone! We were able to catch up with a few of these groups to find out what they’ve been up to and how they’ve been making a material difference, hoping to inspire you with fresh ideas for your next visit.

Passion Impact, Inc.

Passion Impact, Inc. was founded in 2014 by Stefan Peierls and Brad Burns. Their mission is to provide low-income and minority high school and college students the opportunity to develop leadership skills through community service.

Stefan told us they used the wood we donated to build a large shelf that holds almost all of their office supplies, leaving more room for student meetings, trainings, and presentations. “By reusing the resources in our community,” Stefan said, “we show students that no matter how old someone or something may look, there is still tremendous value in their existence and service to the community.” We love to see so many people getting so much reuse and sharing resources with each other!

You can learn more about Passion Impact’s volunteer opportunities here.

Sharon Seventh-Day Adventist Church

The Sharon Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Northeast Portland has paid host to several large families who have immigrated from Rwanda, and their teacher felt they would feel much more connected and comfortable if they could sit around a large family-style table. Jann Stowe was able to find the perfect table at the ReBuilding Center within a week of requesting the donation. It needed some refinishing, but that’s part of its story.

Jann said, “That is why I love the ReBuilding Center, it helps individuals and organizations take an idea or concept and see it through to fruition with the use of used or donated goods at a fraction of what it would cost retail. There is also something very special and tactile when you look at a finished project and see a bit of Portland history.”

We know what it’s like to have strong feelings for this city, and its welcoming community, which is why we look for opportunities to give back wherever we can. You can learn more about Sharon SDA Church on their website.

Nutz N Boltz Theater Company

Nutz-n-Boltz was founded in 2004 by three individuals who were frustrated by the lack of quality community theater and took it upon themselves to raise the bar with a theater they built from scratch. Their name comes from the idea of building something from the ground up and creating theater as art for art’s sake. For thirteen years, they’ve been performing plays without sponsors and with minimal donations.

“We have made it on ticket sales alone and some of our own money, which is unheard of in the theatrical world,” said Justin Lazenby, co-founder and co-owner of Nutz-n-Boltz. He explained, “We’ve done this by reusing everything we can possibly reuse.”

Every year, Nutz-n-Boltz puts on about four to five performances, and each one requires a set to be custom-built for the production. Over the course of a year, the same space may pay host to a Netherlands country home, a Victorian sitting room, a farm house kitchen, or even an entire set made out of candy.

“The ReBuilding Center has helped significantly in our effort to ‘age’ our sets. Old, single-pane windows, ratchety screen-doors, and tarnished door hardware all contribute to the time and the setting of the show.” If the ReBuilding Center didn’t make these items available and affordable, Justin says, “they would probably be in a landfill or deteriorating in the weather in someone’s backyard.”

The name “Nutz N Boltz” comes from the idea of building a show from scratch, and their theater company is dedicated to “the dying art of hand-built stagecraft.” We can’t wait to see what they have to build next. If you’d like to see a show, find their season schedule here.

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If your organization needs materials for a project in the Portland Metro region, we offer donations of used building and remodeling materials to local community-oriented organizations and projects. Find more information and fill out a donation request form here.

En Desafío Siempre Hay Una Recompensa

By: Victor Vidal

Empecé el 21 de mayo de 2004. Mis primos comenzaron a trabajar aquí, yo trabaje con ellos instalando techos. Tom me dio la oportunidad. Tom es una persona divertida y muy agradable. En aquel entonces, Tom comenzó a hablar algunas palabras en español. Muy amable, a Tom no le importa el color de tu piel o raza. Nos llevamos muy bien, entonces comenzamos a crear una relación. Mi primo Nico, fue quien me contó a cerca de la oportunidad de trabajo aquí. Yo Tenía 20 años, ellos me dijeron que posiblemente no me gustaría. Había mucha gente aquí con experiencia, pero Tom dijo que todavía tenía la oportunidad de poder aprender. Tom me dijo; tus parientes están aquí, ellos te pueden ayudar.

Esta es una de mis historias favoritas sobre RBC. Nos enviaron a un lugar en Washington, a dos horas de aquí. Fue mi primera experiencia ir a acampar y trabajar al mismo tiempo. Fue a fines de septiembre; la temporada de lluvias estaba comenzando. Había alrededor de seis personas.  Había un tipo llamado Dana. Él era divertido. Cuando llegamos cerca del sitio de trabajo, nos dijeron; tienes una semana para terminar el trabajo. Era una casa pequeña, un tipo de edificio de garaje. Dijeron que sería una buena idea preparar cada uno un sitio para acampar. Nunca había experimentado algo así. Estábamos en un bosque. Traje mi tienda de acampar, trajimos cosas incluyendo comida. Trabajamos el primer día, al final limpiamos los espacios para instalar la tienda de acampar. Llovía ligeramente durante la noche, pero no sabía que Dana salía a fumar. Entonces comenzó a arrojar pequeñas piedras a mi tienda, esos eran ruidos extraños. Algo como un animal salvaje. No dije nada al día siguiente. continúo haciéndolo la siguiente noche mientras yo trataba de dormir. Al día siguiente, les dije, el miércoles será mi último día, me voy a casa. Tenía miedo porque algo estaba sucediendo. Él me dijo, "espera, ¡fui yo!"  Le dije: "¡No he podido dormir!" …Y eso quedo atrapado en mi cabeza -- desde entonces no puedo ir a acampar. Fue una buena experiencia salir acampar y trabajar al mismo tiempo. Años después, tuvimos un trabajo en el centro de la ciudad ... su casa estaba en la esquina. Dana apareció me vio y dijo "hey, ¿recuerdas?"

¿Por qué elegí continuar trabajando para RBC? Porque en cada sitio de trabajo, encuentro nuevas experiencias. Cuando se corta ciertos tipos de madera, hay olores diferente. Encuentras muchas antigüedades, y eso despierta mi interés en el trabajo. Todas las personas que han venido aquí son buenas personas.

Desde que vine aquí (al país), entendí que de lo que diga, me puede meter en problemas. Mi padre siempre me dijo que siguiera recto por el sendero. Él me dijo que escuchara, basado en mi experiencia, me sugirió, cuídate y concéntrate en tu trabajo. Eso es algo que obtuve de mi padre, él me deseó suerte en ese entonces. En mi familia, soy el más tímido y callado. Al mismo tiempo, el idioma era una barrera. Mi padre está muy contento con mi promoción. Él está muy feliz. Nunca imagino que yo iba a ascender a esta posición o nivel porque dice que no me acababa de conocer... Él no entiende cómo logré esta posición.

No sé si explico esto claramente, pero haré lo mejor en mi posición para aumentar la productividad. Me gusta mucho mi trabajo. Quiero seguir creciendo. Realmente creo que es posible. aunque al momento las cosas sean difíciles. Somos un equipo de 4 o 5. Nos conocemos muy bien, tenemos contacto cercano. La diferencia se nota con 3 o 4 personas más. Con menos gente, la comunicación es fuerte y trabajamos bien juntos. Empiezo a pensar en cada una de las personas del equipo, porque hay momentos en que los veo cansados ​​o estresados, hay ocasiones en que el trabajo es fácil y otros en los que es complicado. Siempre pienso en cómo hacer las cosas a futuro. Si los veo cansados, tengo que pensar cómo llegar al día siguiente y como motivarlos.

Creo que necesitamos más comunicación. ¿Qué aspecto tendría si nos comunicáramos de la mejor manera posible? Reuniones de líderes- exponer lo que está sucediendo, hablar sobre los trabajos que se están llevando a cabo abiertamente, no ocultar nada, porque si ocultamos cosas, será contra todos. Es menester poner todo sobre la mesa. La base de la compañía para ser de apoyo.

Necesitamos más trabajadores. Creo que sería una buena idea hacer publicidad en radio, en español e inglés. Y mencionar que hay muchos y muy Buenos beneficios en esta compañía.

Hay otras compañías que pueden ofrecer más dinero, pero estoy feliz aquí. Es menos dinero, pero vale la pena porque estoy feliz. La gente aquí es gentil. En otras compañías, las personas pueden ser codiciosas y arrogantes. Realmente me gusta estar aquí, podría estar aquí para siempre. Mi familia está feliz, tengo tiempo para mi ellos, yo estaré aquí. Hasta el día en que ustedes me digan que ya no hay trabajo para mí, estoy feliz de estar aquí.

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In Challenge There is Always Reward

I started with the ReBuilding Center on May 21st, 2004. My cousin started working here first, he used to work doing roofing. Tom gave me the opportunity. Tom was a funny guy, very likeable. Back then, Tom started to speak some words in Spanish. He is very gentle - Tom doesn’t care about color of your skin or your race. We got along together very well, and started to create a relationship. My cousin Nico is the one who told me about the job opportunity here. I was 20 years old, and they told me that I might not like it. There were a lot of people here with experience, but Tom said that there was still an opportunity for me and that I could learn. Tom said that my relatives were here, and that they could help me adjust.

This is one of my favorite stories about the ReBuilding Center. We were sent to some part of Washington, about two hours from here. It was my first experience to go camping and work at the same time. It was the end of September; the rainy season was starting. There were around six people. There was a guy named Dana. He was a funny guy. When we got close to the job site, they told us you have a week. It was a small house, some type of garage building. They said it would be a good idea to prepare your camping site. I have never experienced anything like that. It was a lot of woods. I brought my tent, we brought things like food. We worked the first day, at the end we cleared out the spaces. It was light rain at night, but I didn’t know that Dana went out to smoke. And he started throwing rocks at my tent, and making weird noises, like a wild animal. I didn’t say anything. He kept doing it as I was trying to fall asleep. I told him on Wednesday it will be my last day because I was afraid something was going on. He told me, “no, it was me…” I told him that I haven’t been able to sleep. And that’s been stuck in my head ever since and I can’t go camping. It was a good experience to go out and camp and work at the same time. Years later, when I was working downtown… his house was on the corner. Dana saw me and said “hey, remember?”

Why do I choose to continue to work at RBC? Because at every job site, I find a new experience. When you are cutting certain types of wood, they smell different. You find a lot of antiques, it keeps me interested in working. All of the people who have come here are good people.

Ever since I came here (to the country), anything you say, you may fall into trouble. My father always told me to go straight on the trail. He told me to listen, gain experience, take care and focus on your job. That’s something that I got from my dad, he wished me luck back then. In my family, I am the most timid and quiet. At the same time, the language was a barrier. My dad is very happy about my promotion. He never expected that I was going to rise to a certain position or level because he says that he hasn’t known me… He doesn’t understand how I got to this position.

I don’t know if I explain this clearly, but I will do the best in my position to increase the productivity. I like my job a lot. I want to continue growing. I really think it’s possible. Things can be hard now. In DeCon, we are a team of 4 or 5. We know each other very well, we have close contact. The difference is noticed with 3 or 4 more people. With less people, the communication is strong and we work well together. I start to think about every person on the team, because there are times that I see them tired or stressed out, there are times when the job is easy and times when it is complicated. I always think about how to do things in the future. If I see them tired, I have to think about how to come the next day and motivate them.

I think we need more communication. What would it look like if we were communicating at our best? Meetings, leaders – we’d talk about what’s going on, talk about the jobs that are going on openly, don’t hide anything, because if we are hiding things, it will work against everyone. We should put everything on the table. The foundation of the company is to support each other.

We need more workers. I think it would be a good idea to advertise on the radio, in Spanish and English. And mention that there are many and very good benefits in this company.

There are other companies that may offer more money, but I am happy here. It is less money but worth it because I am happy. People here are gentle. At other companies, people can be greedy and arrogant. I really like to be here, I could be here forever. My family is happy, I have time for my family, time to be here. Until the day you guys tell me that I cannot work for you, I am happy to be here.