Thanks for your service, VISTA Jenn!

Jenn Squires finished her second year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer at ReUse Industries on Saturday. Here's what Jenn had to say as her time at ReUse came to an end:

So long! After nearly two years as a VISTA at ReUse Industries it's time for me to move on. Being a part of ReUse Industries has been an enriching learning experience. I've helped organize student moveout, the community yard sale and participated in various community projects and fundraising events. It has been rewarding, fun and I've made many good friends along the way. I'm sad to leave but also really looking forward to starting a new career as an environmental specialist with Austin Powter. Thanks to everyone who helped to make my VISTA experience special and good luck!

The New York Times on deconstruction

(from the New York Times)
By Kristina Shevory

IF the idiosyncratic, ’40s-era cottage Alice Keller bought in Shoreline, a small city just north of Seattle, had a style, it might be called classic teardown. The ceiling in one room was so low she couldn’t stand up under it. A downstairs bathroom was so narrow she had to wiggle sideways to get to the toilet. None of the windows matched. “It was livable, and quirky,” Ms. Keller said, “but in ways I didn’t find amusing.”

The place was crying out for a wrecking ball, but Ms. Keller, a 63-year-old retired teacher of English as a second language, who has an environmentally aware conscience, didn’t want to scrap the building materials only to buy new ones. Instead of having her 1,300-square-foot house bulldozed, she hired Jon Alexander, a contractor who shared her environmentalism and was willing to dismantle the home shingle by beam, and build a replacement with the same two-by-fours.

(For the full article, click here)

ReUse Industries loves deconstruction!

The staff and volunteers at ReUse are always looking for an opportunity to do deconstruction projects! If you or someone you know are planning on tearing down a house or business, let ReUse know, and we'll make sure to salvage the reusable materials from the property and keep them out of the landfill.

Please call AmeriCorps*VISTA Ben Frese at 740-698-8200 ext. 14 with tips on upcoming deconstruction possibilities.

Tips for a green Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner, and while it can be one of the most fun-filled days of the year, it can also be incredibly hard on our environment. Luckily, we've assembled this list of handy tips to ensure that your holiday is both fun AND green!

• Our friends over at Treehugger have compiled this great list of ideas for reusable trick-or-treat bags!
• About.com has a ghoulish guide that covers green Halloween ideas from do-it-yourself costumes to composting jack-o-lanterns, and everything in between.
• "Buy pumpkins, apples, and other seasonal items from a local farmer's market," says MSNBC.com.
• The people over at the Supplies Buyers Blog encourage crafty reuse, such as turning old pantyhose with with runs into spider web decorations.
• The Environmental Defense Fund encourages you to save your Halloween decorations so that you can reuse them year after year.

And remember, you can always stop in at our ReUse Thrift store locations in Athens and Wellston for great do-it-yourself costumes as well as Halloween decorations. Our thrift store hours and locations are as follows:

Athens ReUse Thrift Store
100 Columbus Road
Athens, OH 45701
Open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Wellston ReUse Thrift Store
102 S. Ohio Avenue
Wellston, OH 45692
Open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Make a Difference Day

On Saturday, October 27, ReUse Industries will be holding a service project in the community of Wellston as a part of Make a Difference Day. The project will take place at the Veteran’s Park ball fields, where volunteers will be painting bleachers and dugouts in an effort to make the park a more welcoming place for everyone in the community.

Make A Difference Day, an annual event created by USA WEEKEND magazine, highlights the importance of community service and volunteerism. For more information on Make A Difference Day, please visit the USA WEEKEND website.

We are looking for volunteers to make this event a success. If you or your group would like to volunteer, please contact Emily Camm at 740-698-8200 ext 15.