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- We’re the original founders of Buffalo ReUse, a not-for-profit organization we started organizing in 2006 and which began operations on the East Side in 2007.
- For four years (2007 – 2010) the founding staff of Buffalo ReUse ran a vibrant, creative, and inclusive community-minded business, not without its challenges, but at all times true to its mission and respectful of the surrounding community, business partners, staff and greater Buffalo community.
- We worked hard, constantly innovated our deconstruction techniques, and demonstrated some outside-the-box strategies for neighborhood regeneration. We ran a fair business – we priced our reclaimed products in a fair manner, we paid our staff a living wage, and left nearly every customer satisfied with their experience and their purchases.
- We weren’t perfect, but we built an organization of intention, belief in the power of collective action, and uncompromising in our commitment to our community and to education and training.
- The deterioration of board and staff relations resulted in the dismissal of co-founder Michael Gainer in 2010 and the rest of the founding staff leaving the organization later in 2010 and in Spring 2011. Buffalo ReUse ceased retail operations December 1, 2022.
- We founded ReUse Action in 2011 to continue this important work. We’re confident we’ve recreated a powerful economic engine to create jobs, preserve historical house parts, and offer hard-to-find and also affordable materials to homeowners, landlords, nonprofits, contractors, artists and other professionals throughout the city.
- December 2022: we’ve taken over material sales for Buffalo ReUse, and also are handling donations to Buffalo ReUse. This is by mutual agreement between the board of Buffalo ReUse and ReUse Action.