Q: What is the mission of ReBuild?
A: The mission of ReBuild is threefold.
First, it helps divert thousands of tons of perfectly good building materials and equipment from the region's commercial and demolition debris landfills, re-circulating it
back into the community at an affordable price to property owners that use it to maintain or renovate their properties. This helps prevent the deterioration of neighborhoods and helps in their revitalization if they
have be neglected. By enhancing the value of the property, this process also serves a wealth-building function both from the owner's standpoint (who can refinance the property or sell it at a higher price) as well as from the
community's perspective when the additional property tax revenues it generates is factored in.
Second, the proceeds ReBuild earns from its sales are available to train
hard-to-place workers in "green collar" jobs. Trainees include nonviolent
ex-offenders, temporarily homeless, troubled young adults, and persons
successfully achieving drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation. For them, this
means permanent living wage jobs in fields, such as deconstruction, home
weatherization, asbestos removal, and hardwood floor installation, that can support a
family over a long period of time, because they are the kinds of services
that will be needed to preserve and restore the planet far into the distant
future.
And, third, proceeds are used to
fulfill ReBuild's mission of educating the community on affordable ways to
live greener through our workshops and community outreach efforts.
Q: How does ReBuild contribute to a sustainable environment?
A: ReBuild provides environmental sustainability benefits from a number of
different perspectives. These include: (1) saving the natural resources and
energy required to manufacture a new item; (2) reducing the energy, air
pollution, and toxic wastes used in the processing, manufacture, transport,
distribution, and sales of an item; (3) saving increasingly scarce
construction and debris landfills in or near the DC metropolitan area; (4) making
quality used building materials available at an affordable price to
individuals and nonprofit organizations maintaining and revitalizing their
communities; (5) earning valuable tax benefits for contractors, homeowners,
and property managers replacing perfectly workable items when remodeling;
(6) providing lifetime career training for under- or unemployed low skill
workers in long-lasting jobs benefitting the environment; and (7) providing
a constructive vehicle for enabling citizens to volunteer and give back to
their community. In addition, by supporting locally-based small businesses,
ReBuild is building the local economy by helping keep more of the
community's money in the community benefiting local residents.
Q: Since everything is donated to ReBuild, where does the
money go?
A: ReBuild's inventory and the other non-profits to which it distributes donated material is priced at 50% to 90% off the prices you would
normally find for similar items in regular retail outlets. Prices
are based on the condition of the materials. Funds received from monitary donations and the sale of
donated items pay for our operating expenses and supports ReBuild's community
enhancement work described above.
Q: What kind of community environmental sustainability workshops does
ReBuild offer?
A: ReBuild serves as a community educational facility for environmental
sustainability. Subjects range from the built environment to gardening and
the natural environment -- in short, anything to do with sustainability.
Workshops presenters are unpaid volunteers, nonprofit organization
representatives, and small business owners offering environmental products
and services. A sample of topics includes refinishing and repurposing
kitchen cabinets, the basics of home weatherization, cold frame and raised
bed gardening, attracting pollinators to your yard, passive house
construction and renovation, and solar and geothermal heating system
installation.
Q: How does ReBuild benefit the local economy?
A: ReBuild serves as a facilitator for Northern Virginians
interested in recycling and reuse, as well as those wanting to take
practical steps to live more sustainably. It provides an alternative to the
landfill or incinerator for recycling perfectly good home building materials
with many years of useful life remaining. By helping close the recycling
loop, providing materials that facilitate renovation and repair, helping
reduce pollution and removing toxic/harmful chemicals from the environment,
employing otherwise hard-to-place workers, providing a living wage for our
employees, helping property owners earn tax benefits that allow them to
retain more of their earned income, paying local and state taxes, and
helping small businesses remain viable, ReBuild contributes daily to the
community's economic and social vitality.
Q: Will ReBuild donate materials to community building projects?
A: In the past, we have donated used building materials for high school theatre
productions and woodworking classes, and hopes to be able to do so again soon. ReBuild also provides building
materials at reduced prices to the annual Rebuilding Together program for
repairing residences of low income individuals and the elderly and
elementary school vegetable garden projects. Projects and organizations
must be inclusive and directly benefit the local community.
Q: I have something of value that I would like to sell to ReBuild. Can I
do that?
A: All the building material ReBuild receives has been donated to ReBuild.
Our nonprofit status does not allow us to purchase inventory for resale.
Q: How many people work for ReBuild?
A: All staff are currently volunteers since ReBuild no longer has the responsibility for managing a warehouse. ReBuild's emphasis is now primarily on obtaining grants and developing partnerships to train low-skilled workers in "green collar" jobs and in expanding our sustainability workshop offerings.
We need volunteers to serve as workshop coordinator, grants writer, job-training curriculum director, media/communications specialist, website manager, social media advertising, community relations specialist, volunteer coordinator, and fundraising expert.
We rely heavily on volunteer support and volunteers involved in every facet of ReBuild's work including our "Back Office" operations that support our job training and workshop activities.
Q: Does ReBuild plan to open another warehouse soon?
A: Once ReBuild has settled issues related to its current warehouse lease, we hope to find a suitable location possibly on a shared basis with another non-profit with related needs for affordable used building material, appliances, and home furnishings. We expect to have this situation resolved and our new direction set by spring 2012.
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