BBYUP Provides Paid Summer Internships for Youth!

The BBYUP Program (Boise Business Youth Employment Program) provides ten low-income, at-risk youth with paid summer internships at Boise neighborhood businesses.

The internships run for six weeks over the summer at 20 hours per week. These young people will not only earn money, but they will gain invaluable work experience to launch their future careers as well as develop a deeper connection to their neighborhood and community.

The program, which is now six years old, is a partnership between the ReBuilding Center and Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC), a non-profit education management organization that also operates the Rosemary Anderson High School for at-risk youth.

Portland OIC recruits and screens applicants as well as providing them training, supervision and mentorship through the process. Portland OIC places youth in Boise Neighborhood businesses. Youth have completed internships at a wide variety of businesses including natural medicine providers, insurance agencies, printers, restaurants, and with us at the ReBuilding Center. You can see a complete list of businesses who participate in the program at BBYUP’s website below.

To ensure that youth are successful in their jobs, Portland OIC first provides training on skills such as conflict resolution and customer service. Youth also attend a once a week lunch at the ReBuilding Center to talk with Portland business leaders on operating small businesses and achieving personal career goals.

Neighborhood businesses, including the ReBuilding Center, donate funding for BBYUP. The program also receives steady funding through proceeds from the annual Mississippi Avenue Street Fair hosted by the Historic Mississippi Business Association. Those donations fund wages and training for the youth, as well as work supplies or clothing necessary for their jobs.

If you are a business interested in donating towards this amazing program, you can find a donation form at BBYUP’s website:

If you are interested in applying for an internship, email or call Program Manager Leigh Rapport at lrappaport@portlandoic.org or 503-797-7222.  You can also download an application from their website: 

Applications are due June 10th

With Our Own Two Hands

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!

The answer is clear...

(via: www.statesmanjournal.com)

When the people of Oregon were confronted with the choice of using coal or clean energy to power their homes, the answer was clear. In March, Oregon became the first state in history to put a ban on coal-backed electricity generation. With around 30% of state wide electricity originating from coal-fired plants today, the legislature also mandates that renewable sources are used by utilities to generate at least half of their electricity by 2040. 

(via: cascadebusnews.com)

Large utility companies have already begun their own phase out of coal due to the evolving preference of the consumer towards clean energy and this legislature enhances this existing trend.

Vanport Mosaic is hosting a film festival in May

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

Vote for ReBuilding Center!

New Seasons Market has nominated the Rebuilding Center to be on the ballot for their #BagItForward event, which offers customers the option to donate their reusable bag credits (5¢ each) to a non-profit. Vote for us in the "promoting environmental conservation" category! This is a huge opportunity for us, and could make a huge difference for our independent organization and our mission to strengthen the social and environmental vitality of local communities. If you are a New Seasons Market shopper, please vote January 13th – 26th at any New Seasons Solution Center.

Reclamation Administration article, "Drowning in Demolition"

Adding to the list of reasons why deconstruction is beneficial: water conservation.

In this eye-opening The Reclamation Administration article, Sara Baiali recounts a morning biking past the demolition site of the old Wonder Bread HQ and notices the hoses wetting down all the materials. She later discovers that those hoses are not only pumping more than a gallon per square foot of building being demolished but that the water is actually being landfilled for the hazardous waste it accumulates in the process!

Deconstruction does not consume water like demolition because it does not require the dust suppression technology required by Oregon and EPA guidelines. Save thousands of gallons of water that is going into our sewers and landfills! Share about deconstruction.

Link to article →

Mississippi Avenue Ice Cream Social

Last Tuesday, the Mississippi Avenue community hosted an ice cream social for the public.  Participating organizations included the ReBuilding Center, Laughing Planet, Radar Restaurant, Mississippi Pizza Pub, Salty's Pet Supply, and countless others. Here are a few photos that highlight the success of the event:

Thanks to all who participated in making this event a success!

Photos: Sean O'Connor/Our United Villages

Keen Provides Utility Volunteer Boot Library

Here's a loving post from Keen's blog about our relationship and their support of our volunteer's toes. Click here to see the full article.

Here's an excerpt:

"We recently teamed up with our friends at the ReBuilding Center to create a boot library! The ReBuilding Center is one of KEEN’s favorite non-profits, located just a short bike ride away from our headquarters in Portland, OR. They specialize in providing reclaimed building materials at little or no cost for individuals, small businesses, and other grassroots organizations looking to complete a project. They also provide deconstruction services as a sustainable alternative to conventional demolition.

It’s run by a small staff and over 2,000 volunteers, who all require sturdy, steel toe boots when working at the center or helping with a demolition. We recently met with Sean O’Connor, the Strategic Coordinator at ReBuilding Center, who said that mandating steel toe footwear for deconstruction projects has decreased their volunteer pool. “A lot of people came in to help but couldn’t do the tasks because they didn’t have the proper footwear,” he explained."

Outreach and Strategic Coordinator, Sean O’Connor

Walking into the workroom

The handcrafted entrance made entirely of repurposed materials

We caught Mayela mid-laugh. She’s longtime employee and an expert glass cutter

The KEEN boot library at the Rebuilding Center

Leo!

Just when we thought we saw all of the center, we turned a corner and found the expansive lumber yard

Another entrance to the Rebuilding Center

A pair of KEENs on the job

Every color in the cabinet rainbow

The view of TRC along Mississippi street

Wall Street Journal on How Sewage Water Might Make Good Beer

March 12 | 2015

"The railing at the front of the ReBuilding Center in Portland, Ore., is made of repurposed metals, including old tools and parts of machinery. Members of the city’s ‘master recycler’ course visited the center, which accepts donations of used building and remodeling materials." Photo: Amanda Lucier for The Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal cites us as a part of an innovative group of recyclers in NW.

Read the article here >

Stillmotion Creates New Film for The ReBuilding Center

Check out Stillmotion and you’ll find a band of filmmakers and storytellers, who as a rule, let their curiosity get the best of them. They believe that the process of discovery is just as important as what ends up on the screen. Loving to share their passion for film making, a few times a year Stillmotion hosts EVO, a 4 day intense educational workshop where 3 teams conceptualize, shoot, edit, and deliver a final piece to 3 pre-selected non-profits, to help tell their story and give back.

A heartfelt thank you to the team members who produced the film: Michael Gerhman (Neenah, WI), Robert Borejszo (Vancouver, BC), and Paul Harrison (Frisco, TX), and team leader, local Portland photographer, Leah Nash, and Stillmotion!

“It was a pleasure and an honor for the EVO team to create this piece for The ReBuilding Center of Our United Villages.  I was struck by the amount of heart and dedication we encountered in every person the center touches.  The film is an opportunity to give a voice and face to an organization so dedicated not only to a healthier, more sustainable environment but to a thriving local community.  The piece is for the people that go out of their way to make the place we all call home just a little bit better.” – Leah Nash

Steve Duin: The ReBuilding Center and the Wonder of Waste Not Want Not

Thanks to Steve Duin of The Oregonian for stopping by to visit and following up with an article in the April 3, 2013 Oregonian. Read it here.

The ReBuilding Center Featured on Fusion

This past weekend The ReBuilding Center was featured on the local show Fusion. Fusion is a show that “covers everything about the Northwest home that makes it special.” Check them out on a Saturday morning on a local station or on their website http://www.fusionnw.com/.

DeConstruction Service Featured in the Oregonian

Did you catch the article about DeConstruction Services of The ReBuilding Center on the front page of The Oregonian’s Oregon Living section? If you want to hear about someones experience first hand with DeConstruction Services and learn more about the industry in Portland check this article out.

When we decided to remodel our kitchen, we chose deconstruction… The bids we got—deconstruction vs. demolition—were virtually identical, plus we wouldn’t have to pay for a trash bin. What’s more, we would receive a tax deduction for the (nominal) value of the items we donated to the ReBuilding Center.—Naomi Kaufman Price

Get a free estimate for you project on the DeConstruction Services free estimate page or contact us at decon@rebuildingcenter.org or 503.331.9875.

Have you used DeConstruction Services for one of your projects? Share your experience in the comment section below!

Door to Door: A Feature in The Oregonian

With our Once-In-A-Lifetime Fundraising event approaching fast, we are so pleased to have been featured in The Oregonian’s Home and Garden section. Bridget A. Otto talks about the LeRoy Setziol Door that started it all, the vision of this one of a kind event and the power of art to create sustainable communities. 

Read the full article: click here!

ReBuilding Center Strives for a Waste Free Event

Open The DOOR to Sustainability strives to be a 100% waste free. 

A waste free event is a natural step for The ReBuilding Center, whose operations divert an average of 6.5 million pounds of construction waste from landfills each year. 

But what does a waste free event look like? 

Our goal is to produce zero garbage and as little recycling waste as possible. We are doing so by: 

- Using reusable dishware for food and beverages
- Composting Food Scraps
- Providing cloth napkins
- Catering the event with companies who are dedicated to sustainable practices
- Recycling all paper products, including signage and auction catalogs, after the event

In addition to our commitment to make this event waste-free, we are demonstrating sustainable practices by offering food and beverages that are produced locally and in many cases organically. We are encouraging people to carpool and to use any form of alternative transportation such as public transit, biking or walking. Each person using this method will be entered into a drawing for a special prize. The Bison Building, located at 410 NE 10th Ave, has easy access to public transit and is just 10 blocks from the East Bank Esplanade pedestrian and bike path. 

Open The DOOR To Sustainability is not merely a fundraiser for The ReBuilding Center, it is also a showcase of the many ways Portland businesses are working together to make our community a healthier, more sustainable place.  We hope to set a precedent for future events by demonstrating that a waste-free celebration is not only possible, but beautiful. This challenge offers a truly amazing opportunity to come together as a community to find new ways to bring sustainable practices to the forefront. 

Art Made Fram Salvage Door to be Auction at June Event

In honor of LeRoy Setziol's impact on NW Art and in celebration of the hand-carved Setziol door that came to The ReBuilding Center after nearly ending up in the landfill, local artists have created works of art from salvaged doors to be auctioned at our June event. 

The LeRoy Setziol door, unlike his works in galleries across the Northwest, arrived at The ReBuilding Center strapped to a flat-bed truck. It is a story of trash and treasure, of a beautiful and valuable piece of art that nearly ended up in the landfill. Soon to be showcased by The ReBuilding Center, the door’s unique carving, geometric pattern and gentle craftsmanship are its signature. The intricate patterns of ridges divided by flowing lines and organic shapes are smoothed not by sanding, but by deliberate carving and oiling by hand.

Join The ReBuilding Center of Our United Villages on the evening of Saturday, June 19th, 2010 at Open the DOOR to Sustainability, showcasing the Setziol door and celebrating sustainability. The night will include live and silent auctions, featuring a series of used doors reclaimed from the waste stream and turned into inspiring art by Pacific Northwest artists. Each door will have a unique story of its history and transformation. There will be environmentally sustainable contemporary furnishings designed and handcrafted from reclaimed materials from The ReBuilding Center; and other products and packages from local companies using sustainable methods and approaches in their work. 

We hope to see you there! http://openthedoortosustainability.com/

KATU Covers Marysville Salvage Project

KATU news visited the Marysville School deconstruction project on Tuesday. Check out their coverage of the project, including some great footage of our Deconstructionists at work denailing lumber, the gymnasium filled with doors, tubs and toilets, and an old door that was found between the walls of two classrooms. Executive Director, Shane Endicott, talks about the project and the process.

ReFind Furniture Wins Best Award

ReFind Furniture is honored to be the recipient of the City of Portland’s BEST Award for Sustainable Products or Services. The BEST Awards seek to acknowledge the efforts of local businesses in the areas of economic growth and environmental benefit. According to their website, “The mission of the BEST Awards is to inspire the business community by showcasing innovation and commitment to sustainability.” To read more about the BEST Awards and our participation, please click here.

ReFind Furniture designs and handcrafts environmentally sustainable, natural, contemporary furnishings for residential and commercial spaces. A primary goal of ReFind is to preserve the environment and benefit communities. In this regard, all ReFind materials are sourced locally, most of it coming from homes and other buildings that have been manually deconstructed by our DeConstruction Services department. This historic old-growth lumber finds new life in a distinctive line of furniture and custom designs.

In 2008, ReFind products created from salvaged material preserved the equivalent of more than 60 old-growth Douglas fir trees and avoided the production of 415 pounds of green house that would have been generated to harvest and mill new lumber — the equivalent of removing 2.5 cars from the road.

Most importantly, ReFind Furniture seeks to inspire the creative reuse of salvaged materials. ReFind also hosts classes and workshops that range from practical knowledge and skill-building to artistic expression. To learn more about classes visit the Education page of our website.

There are lots of ways to get involved with the creative reuse of salvaged materials. You can participate in the ReUse Ideas Project year-round by submitting a photo of your creative reuse project to receive a 10% discount at the warehouse. Or, you can participate in the upcoming ReFind Furniture ReUse Exhibition by showcasing your project during our 11th birthday celebration on June 11. Click here for more info.

Questions about ReFind Furniture or custom work? Visit our website, email us or call 503-445-1756.

Senator Merkeley Visits Deconstruction Site

March ushered in the partnership of Specialized Housing and DeConstruction Services.

About Specialized Housing Incorporated

Like Our United Villages, Specialized Housing Incorporated (SHI) is a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation. SHI was formed in 1981 in collaboration with United Cerebral Palsy, The Epilepsy Association of Oregon and The Association for Retarded Citizens for the specific purpose of improving housing options for people with disabilities. SHI has developed over 100 projects throughout Oregon and has 28 years of experience in housing design, property management, new construction and substantial rehabilitation. Like The ReBuilding Center, Specialized Housing, Inc. has received many awards for outstanding service to the community. 

The Project

SHI hired DeConstruction Services to dismantle five houses totaling 5,500 square feet—all of which the deconstruction crews have accomplished in record time. The freshly deconstructed site will be the future home for Eastgate Station, which will be high density housing with 61 units for special needs individuals and families. Eastgate Station will serve low and very low income individuals and families, people with disabilities, and hard to serve homeless families with disabilities. Services for homeless residents will be coordinated by Multnomah County and will be provided by Impact Northwest under Multnomah County’s Bridges to Housing (B2H) Initiative and 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.

 Senator Merkeley with DeConstruction Crew & Shane Endicott on SHI Site

Support for "Green Jobs"

The DeConstruction Services and Specialized Housing, Inc. project created the perfect storm to model the highest potential meaning of “Green Jobs.” Job creation, material reuse, community development, and partnering organizations presented a great reason to contact Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley. The SHI project also happens to be in Senator Merkley’s own neighborhood. While making time in his very busy schedule on Friday, Senator Merkley learned on site how DeConstruction Services and The ReBuilding Center are viable, working examples of Green Jobs. The brief visit included a tour of the remaining house, and a short press interview. The Senator and his aids were very pleased to learn first hand the opportunities reuse develops in the community. The Senator’s closing remarks expressed his excitement about the possibilities this project represented, as well as his support of these kinds of jobs.

 Senator Merkeley and Shane Endicott

 Senator Merkeley with Executive Director of SHI

Deconstruction of the SHI site saved: 

• 27,500 cubic feet of reusable materials out of the landfill
• 6,600 gallons of clean water, or daily water intake of 13,200 people
• 91 mature trees left in the forest, or 28 acres of newly planted pine
• 1,815 square feet of affordable housing from the reused building materials
• 2,495 additional hours of work at a living wage, supporting our local economy
• 7.9 cars removed from the road in the reduction in greenhouse gases

Root Award for Communitecture

The ReBuilding Center and Communitecture were honored at the first annual Root Awards, presented by Portland Spaces Magazine. The Root Awards is a design competition celebrating innovation, creativity and craftsmanship in the Portland Area.

Communitecture won first place for its design of The ReBuilding Center in the Retail Category. In the words of Portland Spaces editor, Randy Gragg:
“…The ReBuilding Center has become the heart of Portland’s reuse ethos and what [Mark] Lakeman calls a “cathedral of community experience.”

Thank you to Communitecture for translating the reuse ethos into a building that we can all be proud of. And thanks to all of you: the community of supporters who encourage and enable us to continue this work.

Congratulations everyone!

Visit us on Flickr to see more photos!