A Thank You, A Request, & A Sad Goodbye
Greetings Reuse Fans!
First, I would like to thank everyone for your support of the Big Pour, including our 2,895 ticket holders, 35+ volunteers, brewers, food partners, and Monmade vendors. It is a herculean effort to pull off such a large event, which we could not achieve without our dedicated staff and Board of Directors. Finally, special thanks for the patience of our shoppers, donors and recyclers during the closure of our facility during the event. We know it is an inconvenience.
Second, earlier this week we released a survey to help CJ do some strategic planning. The retail world is changing. Home ownership is changing. There is a growing trend of people doing fewer DIY projects and instead hiring someone else to do home improvement projects. We know reuse carries a different set of challenges than purchasing new materials, and in this shifting landscape, it seems that the volume of usable building materials going to landfill has remained constant. CJ wants to know how we can improve our ability to divert these usable materials. Building material choices matter to the environment, resource conservation and preservation. Tell us how we are doing and what we can do to encourage more reuse!
Lastly, some very sad news. Last Saturday, Carol Zagrocki, senior program officer at the Colcom Foundation died very suddenly. Carol was a strong supporter of local environmental causes, including Construction Junction and our founding organization, the Pennsylvania Resource Council. She helped fund projects at CJ that are ongoing and will ultimately result in strong partnerships with other nonprofit organizations. She cared very much for our work to promote reuse. Good-natured and easy to work with, Carol’s passing is terribly sad, but also reminds me of the profound importance a committed individual can have to make the world a better place. We all have that power. I will miss bringing CJ projects to your thoughtful and caring attention…
