Project update
To local supporters…A sincere thank you.
We’re now beginning, and celebrating our fourth year in business! Your continued generosity and patronage have been essential to our success, and we consider you our partners on the road to sustainable living. GRC continues to be a very dynamic and exciting journey.
Accomplishments…
Without grants or loans, we could not have started this business four years ago without community support. Brian & Lorraine Carlstrom lent us a retail space free-of-charge for 6 months! Joe Fields donated a pick-up truck. Hood River Garbage loaned us a shipping container to keep merchandise out of the rain and snow. And numerous unsolicited funds flowed in from individual contributors which helped us through our crucial first winter!
From that humble beginning, we have managed to create five stable jobs which are paid for excusively from sales revenue made by diverting valuable building materials to our store. We also partner with AmeriCorps each summer to create a position which helps keep the store runnung smoothly during our busy season, and provides responsibility, training, and an educational stipend to a high-school senior.
We now have a solid staff, (David, Patrick, Stan, Darlene & Jo) working very hard to process your donations, display them in an inviting fashion, and keep this place running. AND - a Huge Thanks to all the volunteers who have continued to support us!
Outreach: We have had the honor of participating in a variety of local events to foster reuse and green building. We co-sponsored the annual Enviro House Tour, presented a booth at The Dalles Home Show, and have hosted various elementary field trips to our site.
Current needs: (for a full needs Wish List, please see… “Donate Materials”)
Most important!...we know we’re only reaching the tip of the “iceberg” of salvageable materials out there, so we still need you to help us SPREAD THE WORD that we are here...
Future hopes:
1) Our goal is to provide sustainable wages & benefits for our hard working staff.
2) A permanent home so that our capital investments stay with us!
3) Deconstruction/salvage and other waste-based businesses – lots of opportunity here!