Your stuff did this! August spotlight
Oh the wonderful things your things can do! Ridwell’s featured category helps you clear out the stuff you’re done with and get it in the hands of someone eager to put it to good use.
Our members consistently blow our minds with their generosity, and we try to return the favor by ensuring every last bit of their stuff goes to mind-blowingly awesome partners. Here’s just a sampling of the incredible things Ridwell members’ stuff made possible last month:
SEATTLE
Last year, Ridwell members in Seattle gave their leftover tiles, broken pottery, plates, mirrors, glass, and more to Coltura, a local organization dedicated to finding ways to speed the green revolution and get off gasoline more quickly. In August, at the Puget Sound Solar Building, Coltura unveiled a completed mosaic that their team created using thousands of pieces from Ridwell members' donations! The mosaic features the main character of their new children’s book about the harms of gasoline, Sparky's Electrifying Tale.
The artist, Majken Ryherd, shared her thoughts on the beauty of the donations behind the installation: “Sometimes it’s just ‘Hey, it was my bathroom remodel, my kitchen remodel…I don’t know what to do, I don’t want to throw it away. But a lot of times, it was things [sic] that meant things to people.” One volunteer on the project, for example, donated a vase that once belonged to her late sister and a planter from her mother who had passed away, as a way to let their legacy live on in community art. The Ridwell community’s contributions to this work are honored on a plaque at the site of the mosaic.
PORTLAND
Twelve pallets (nearly 8500 pounds) of cords, chargers, and printer cartridges went to help Portland families struggling with digital access through our partner, Free Geek. This organization works to diverts electronics from the landfill and refurbish them wherever possible, getting them back into the hands of the Portland community at low or no cost. Your old iPhone charger just might be a game-changer for your neighbors in need of technology to access the education, opportunities, and information that will help them succeed.
BELLINGHAM
Ridwell members have sent two heaping portions of non-perishable food donations to the Bellingham Food Bank this summer, weighing in at 1835 pounds in total! And more is always needed: nearly 20% of Bellingham families regularly visit the Bellingham Food Bank. By getting these cans, bottles, and boxes out of hiding in their own cupboards, Ridwell members helped to restock pantries at Bellingham Food Bank, making their fight to end hunger in Whatcom County a bit more winnable for the team at BFB. “We’re delighted to welcome Ridwell to Bellingham! They make it easy for members to send generosity our way to then pass along to our neighbors in the greatest need. Thanks for being partners in waste reduction and community care!”
DENVER
Thanks to you, babies and moms in need received a major boost with 16+ boxes of diapers and wipes! Meeting families’ sanitary needs is a critical gap to fill: A baby goes through 3,000 diapers in the first year of life, which can cost between $80 and $100 per month! Though many homeless families have working parents, they are often forced to make hard financial tradeoffs to get by, such as choosing between purchasing diapers and being able to pay for transportation to their jobs. WeeCycle provides a lifeline to many Colorado families by recycling essential baby gear and matching it to the families who need it most.
Want to start putting your old things to great use in your community? Join Ridwell today — or, if you’re already a member, spread the word about the magic of Ridwell’s featured category to make our community an even bigger force for good. Let your friends know how you gave back to people near you by sharing this blog on social using the buttons below!
