WHO WE ARE
The ReBuilding Center is the heart of low-cost, community-based reuse and repair in Portland, making home repair and creative reuse affordable, sustainable, and accessible for all! Since 1997, we have kept more than 60 million pounds of useful, unique building materials out of the landfill, taught thousands in our community to do basic, safe home repairs, and served as a tremendous resource for a thriving community of artists, makers, and DIYers who find creative and inspiring uses for our reclaimed materials every day.
MISSION & VALUES
ReBuilding Center builds community resilience and empowers DIYers by ensuring access to affordable used building materials and repair skills so people can be self-sufficient and reduce waste.
-
We opt for strategies and processes that reduce waste and limit use of natural resources and environmental impacts.
We prioritize reuse and repair before recycling.
We believe sustainable communities begin with physical and mental health, a living wage, and balance between work and home.
-
We value, embrace, and honor the history of our neighborhood.
We seek to be a safe, welcoming, and accessible place for all people to gather.
We strive to continually learn and improve our practices, policies, environment, and culture to move our organization in the direction of racial equity.
-
We are adaptable, creative, and resourceful in how we use materials and address challenges.
We practice sincerity and humility in our interactions with one another and the people we serve.
We value and honor the creativity and unique qualities of people and materials.
-
We strive to create an environment in which our team finds joy in their work, and the people we serve find joy in their experience with us.
We value teamwork and seek to find humor in our work together. -
We listen fully, with patience, and without judgement.
We practice empathy and care for one another and the people we serve, prioritizing relationships as a key component of our work. -
We practice honesty and trust in our relationships with one another, our partners, and the people we serve.
We prioritize transparency and information-sharing to ensure that our entire team is able to make decisions that support the health and success of our organization in enacting our mission.
Learn more about our commitment to climate and racial justice here.
Our Store
Our 30,000 sq. foot store is a treasure trove of Portland architectural history salvaged from deconstructed and renovated old homes, as well as new materials from our partners in construction and development. It’s a tremendous resource for reuse of sustainable, affordable materials, and with the high cost of building materials our services are needed now more than ever. Learn more about what we sell, or about making a material donation.
Our Classes
Through our repair skills classes, we teach our community how to perform safe, affordable, sustainable home repairs and improvements, and how to maintain their homes. For many homeowners, their house is their most significant asset, but they might not know how to preserve and maintain that asset as a means to build generational wealth. We offer classes to teach people how to keep their homes safe, sustainable, functional, and in good repair. Through this work, we build comfort and confidence in repair, saving our community money, building economic resilience, keeping stuff out of landfills, and empowering people to stay in their own homes.
Impact
Since launching in 1997, ReBuilding Center has:
diverted over 35,000 tons of reusable building materials from the waste stream, reclaiming materials and mitigating the negative health and environmental impacts of landfills and new production;
provided affordable building materials to over 1 million members of our community;
taught over 1000 carpentry, plumbing, and electrical classes to over 11,500 students, creating a safe and encouraging place for all people to learn, in part by offering women-, LGBTQ-, and BIPOC-only classes and providing partial need-based and BIPOC scholarships.
Founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1997, the ReBuilding Center’s tax identification number is 93-1241474. Make a donation to support our work here.