Repair Bank News Brief
Preventing Waste at the Source
This spring, the Repair Bank mission moved one step closer to LITERALLY stopping furniture from going into the landfill.
In 2023, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) was awarded a grant from The Washington State Department of Ecology. This grant’s purpose and intended goal is to capture usable but unwanted furniture and coordinate the distribution of the collected items to residents in need.
Well, as luck would have it, that is EXACTLY what we do at the Repair Bank, so of course when we received the Request for Proposal we gladly threw our refurbished hat into the ring!
Meetings and bids followed, resulting in Furniture Repair Bank being awarded the contract to fulfill the objectives of this program. Project planning commenced, including an on-site visit with the SPU and Transfer Station teams to determine the best location for collection to prevent interference with regular station operations.
The program kicked off in August with our first two pilot collection events. On both days the trucks were packed full with furniture in less than five hours! Many of the items we diverted only needed a good cleaning and are now situated in the homes of the families we support.
As a small but mighty team, we will need volunteers to help support this innovative endeavor on a regular basis, so if you are interested in helping out, please email jasmin@zerowastewashington.org. Stay tuned for more updates about this ongoing project that will certainly prevent a great deal of unnecessary furniture waste.
We are proud to operate in a city, county, and state that supports waste reduction efforts and climate change mitigation, and extra proud to lead the charge in this effort!
One Seattle Day of Service
On May 18th, over 100 public, private, and non-profit partners and organizations joined forces for the One Seattle Day of Service. This event invited residents to come together for a variety of volunteer opportunities all over the city including cleaning and beautification efforts, gardening and restoration, supporting neighbors, and more.
The Repair Bank team was proud to be part of this shared action of cooperation and service in support of our beautiful city and its residents.
This event was our largest undertaking of volunteers in one day as we hosted 30 people for the morning shift and another 30 for the afternoon shift! Some volunteers came solo while others came in organized groups of co-workers including a large contingent from Expedia in the morning. The afternoon shift included an extended family with pre-teens, teens, parents, and grandparents. Fun for the whole family!
Despite the typical spring rain, much fun was had and a LOT of furniture was refinished for local families in need. Multiple volunteers who joined us that day have returned for our regular repair day events. Hosting such enthusiastic people who donate their time and effort to make a difference in their local communities is incredibly motivating and uplifting. We are proud to operate in a city that promotes impactful endeavors such as this and we look forward to participating again in 2025.
SYEP Interns at the Repair Bank
Seattle Human Services (HSD) Director Tanya Kim. “Last year marked our 50th anniversary of providing young people with internships, paid at one of the highest minimum wage rates in the country. The SYEP program remains one of our strongest investments that support successful futures for the next generation.”
This summer the Repair Bank was pleased to host three enterprising young adults through the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Now in its 51st year, this program supports young people ages 16 to 24 from qualifying-income households and communities that may experience racial, social, and economic disparities. Engagement with these internships increases participants' ability to pursue meaningful and financially beneficial careers that support their long-term growth.
Sumaya Abdi - current University of Washington student employed part-time with the Port of Seattle. Her long-term career goal is to become a doctor. Sumaya was tasked with developing a fundraising plan using Candid platform available through the Seattle Public Library. This platform provides a directory of foundations that help nonprofits find funding support that aligns with their missions and goals. Through her research, Sumaya discovered 50 different foundations for our team to reach out to for financial support, a crucial element in the success of any non-profit organization.
Anh Thu T Truong - current University of Washington student majoring in psychology, minoring in business, with plans to earn an additional degree in real estate. Anh helped develop business plans for two new business arms in the planning stages that will help to make our organization more financially self-sufficient: Furniture rental service for the home staging industry and furniture restoration classes for the public. Her in-depth research will be very helpful for the planning and launch of these additional revenue streams that will enable us to grow stronger on our pathway to financial sustainability.
Calvin Washington - Junior at Chief Sealth High School in Seattle studying environmental science and career goals of entrepreneurship in the restaurant industry. Calvin was tasked with the development and implementation of the 5S (Sorting, Setting, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) management system for our workshop. During his time with us, we conducted a few sorting parties, improved our storage and organization systems, conducted additional cleaning parties, and set standards and protocols to maintain our newly organized space. We also reviewed OSHA requirements to ensure our space complies with current standards. Calvin also assisted with the first two collection events at the Transfer Stations.
It was a pleasure working with these motivated young adults this summer and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!
Another Feature for FRB!
Thanks to the recommendation of one of our furniture donors, the Repair Bank team was interviewed by a local radio and podcast host!
Spotlight with host Laurie Hardie features issues affecting the Pacific Northwest and the people making a difference in our community and sometimes beyond. Laurie interviewed our Founder and Director Xenia and our Communications and Relationships lead Sara to learn more about how the Repair Bank is reducing waste, teaching valuable skills, and supporting our community.
This was a great opportunity to share the mission of our organization with a wider audience. The original interview aired on local stations in early July, and is still available for listening on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and the websites of the stations Movin' 92.5 and Warm 106.9.
Thank you Laurie for shining a SPOTLIGHT on Furniture Repair Bank!
PNW Climate Week: Founders Live!
During PNW Climate Week this July, our Founder & Director Xenia Dolovova was invited to compete in Founders Live Seattle! Founders Live is an ecosystem that aims to inspire, educate, connect, and support entrepreneurs around the world. One aspect of their support is the 99-second pitch competition where five startup founders have, you guessed it, 99 seconds to promote their idea to the audience followed by four minutes of Q & A.
The event was hosted at the Historic Georgetown Steam Plant, an immersive history experience and unique event space that promotes STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education programming rooted in the Duwamish Valley.
Xenia with the Founders Live! hosts & competitors
The Repair Bank team was out in full force (sporting our highly fashionable Repair Bank t-shirts!) to support our inspiring director. During her super quick pitch, Xenia shared how we are rescuing furniture from the landfill and helping families in need while providing trade and craft skills training to our mighty volunteers. After all the pitches were completed, audience voting commenced and Xenia and the Repair Bank were crowned the winner!
This event was a great opportunity to share the Repair Bank mission with more community members. As a bonus, the win came with a prize package that includes resources and credits for professional services and discounts on financial management tools and software, some of which we already utilize. As a nonprofit effort, discounts go a long way in helping us stretch our budget!
Thanks again to the Founders Live! organization for this great opportunity!
See you at Furniture Repair Bank!
