project leader
Kat M
location
The City of Cortland
(The City of Cortland )
latest update rss
BIG NEWS!!!

the project

A ReUse Center in Cortland will be a WIN-WIN-WIN: for the local economy, the environment, and the community.  We NEED YOUR HELP to get the project off the ground.  By donating to the Cortland Community ReUse Project campaign you will support the opening and operation of the store and needed equipment, along with creating jobs and providing quality low-cost goods to our community. Cortland ReUse is a project of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County (CCE-Cortland) seeking to strengthen the economy, community, and environment through reuse and sustainable materials management.

 

the steps

We are in the process of securing a location for our coming ReUse Center, and anticipate that we will be ready to open a local store in 2021.

We have already started collecting used goods to add to our inventory and are selling select items online.  We are currently borrowing trucks and space to store these products.  Once we reach our goal we will start procuring all the equipment and technology needed to open the store.  After a site is ready, we plan to stock the store within days for our grand opening.

 

why we're doing it

There are many reasons why we feel this project is so special.  We believe a ReUse Center will help solve social, economic, and environmental problems in our neighborhood.  

Environmentally, when we buy secondhand goods, there are fewer resources and energy inputs required.  It also helps keep "old stuff" out of the local landfill, which will prolong the life of the landfill, and reduce our local environmental impact.  

Economically, ReUse can have a huge impact.  To dispose of a ton of materials in the landfill costs about $80-90 per ton.  But when you instead donate that "stuff" to the ReUse Center and it’s resold, it can yield between $2,000 and $4,000 per ton!  This helps create jobs, and keeps that money in our local community.  Additionally, reselling also gives people other options to purchase goods at low cost without having to buy from big national corporations, which send the vast majority of the money out of town.

Socially, ReUse Centers provide a lot of value to communities.  It's not just “a place to shop.”  It can be a place for job training.  It can be a gathering spot for groups to share skills, such as a fixers collective or an artistic reuse collective.  It is the kind of place that makes people proud of the community in which they live.

 

budget

Disbursed budget 3.21.2022:




 

Planned

Actual

Point of Sales, Registers, Computers, Phones, Internet

$9,000.00

$1,500.00

Equipment (Processing tables, Counters, Racking, Shelving, Pallet Jack, etc)

$12,000.00

$3,500.00

Office Supplies and Equipment

$1,500.00

$600.00

Advertising and Website

$6,000.00

$322.65

Legal Fees and Insurance

$4,500.00

$4,500.00

     

Total

$33,000.00

$10,422.65

=$10,422.65



TOTAL RAISED = $10,745.00
ioby Fiscal Sponsorship Fee (5%) N/A
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $322.35
TOTAL TO DISBURSE= $10,422.65

 

Original budget:

-Point of Sales, Registers, Computers, Phones, Internet = $9,000

-Equipment (Processing tables, Counters, Racking, Shelving, Pallet Jack, etc) = $12,000

-Office Supplies and Equipment = $1,500

-Advertising and Website = $6,000

-Legal Fees and Insurance = $4,500



PROJECT FUNDING NEEDED = $30,325
ioby Platform Fee $35
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $939
TOTAL TO RAISE = $31,299

updates

BIG NEWS!!!

Hey friends!  We have some awesome news to share with you!  Several big things actually.  First off… we are now OFFICIALLY a NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION!!!!  That’s right, we recently received word that after months and months of hard work, we can officially take tax deductible donations as Cortland ReUse.  This is a huge step!

But wait, there’s MORE….

We have found a location that we love for a NEW STORE, and we just signed the lease!  We have already started cleaning it up, painting, and moving stuff over there to get ready to open a REUSE CENTER here in Cortland!!!!  How exciting is that!?!?!?!

We wanted to take a minute to say, we couldn’t have done it without you and your help.  We know it’s been a long road but our small team of dedicated individuals has not stopped working toward this goal.  

This journey has taken months and months, but the work doesn’t end here.  In fact, it’s just beginning.  We still have much to do.  As we mentioned, the cleaning, painting, and moving… Stay tuned, because there will some opportunities for you to help out future.  

But for now, we just wanted to take a minute to give you this update.  Thanks to your donations to IOBY we are able to get this thing going!

We will keep the IOBY campaign going for a while longer and will provide more updates soon.  Feel free to follow us on social media if you haven't already.  And please SHARE with your friends.  

THANKS AGAIN for all your help on this journey. We really appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts!

Keep on Keeping On

Hey folks! It's been a while. We have been keeping busy quietly working behind the scenes. The world is a crazy place these days. There are a lot of financial unknowns for many of us as we move into the one-year mark of this pandemic. This has made it a hard time to ask for money. Our team at Cortland ReUse is optimistic - there are a lot of ways that a ReUse Center could really help people right now. But in order to get there we need an extra boost. 

Although we haven't had a lot to share recently it's not for lack of effort. Our volunteer-led team has been working hard behind the scenes - searching for a site, planning a facility, and squaring away our non-profit status paperwork. It's not glamorous, but it's the important work that's going to get us where we need to be. Our next step is focusing on finding a site, and once we have a location lined up, we will kick our fundraising back into high gear. Thanks to everyone who has supported us thus far! Your support has not gone unnoticed. 

Closing in on a Milestone

Thanks to our amazing supporters, we’ve almost reached 25% of our goal - which is a huge milestone. When we look back on all we’ve accomplished, it's impressive to see the outpouring of support for this project. Just this past summer we participated in a deconstruction project in partnership with Finger Lakes ReUse, and with the help of many dedicated volunteers, taking apart a building piece by piece. More recently we’ve seen supporters donate materials, help with processing and set-up, and come out and shop at our two pop-up sales. These sales have provided some great learning experiences and are laying the groundwork for development of a full-scale retail store. 

 

While we have come a long way, there is still more to be done. Our ultimate goal is to bring a ReUse Center to the Cortland area. This has obviously been a crazy year for many, so we have decided to extend the campaign into 2021. If you haven’t already and you have the means, please consider donating. Even a small contribution, like a cup of coffee ($5) goes a long way when combined with the efforts of many. Another way to support is to share this campaign with your friends and family. Be sure to follow us on Facebook.

 

Thanks for all your support!   

Pop-up Sale

Great job so far team! We are on our way to our goal, but still have work to do. Please share with your friends. 

We also wanted to make sure you knew about our pop-up sale this weekend. It's a great way to shop while supporting a good cause. We've got books, DVD's, VHS, housewares, furniture, tools, clothing, and so much more. The sale takes place Friday, 12/4 noon - 5 pm and Saturday, 12/5 from 9-3 pm at the Cortland Corset Building. We hope to see you there.

Keep up the good work! Thanks for being part of our Cortland ReUse coalition. 

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Susan W.
  • Martha B.
  • Mary Lee M.
  • Anonymous
  • Diane Cohen
  • Clint Brooks
  • Sharon & Dean
  • Joe & Molly
  • Elizabeth Leibensperger
  • Anonymous
  • Murry F Solomon
  • John Z.
  • Bailey Place Insurance
  • Lancy C.
  • Tom and Jennifer Turck
  • Joe Cortese
  • Molly L.
  • Matt Cortese
  • Kat M.
  • Tim and Carol M.
  • Kevin C.
  • Klotz family
  • Mayor Hal
  • Jim C.
  • Theodore Roosevelt
  • Mark D.
  • Briana A.
  • Keri, Andy, Alden, Ezra, Adeline
  • Molly K.
  • Shared Roots Farm
  • Kathie Arnold
  • Shawn D.
  • Anonymous
  • Chris F.
  • New York Hemp Oil
  • TERRI K.
  • David B.
  • Aaron F.
  • Thunder jam
  • Cobblestone Valley Farm
  • Victoria B.
  • Adrianne T.
  • Martin B.
  • Anonymous
  • Rickie m.
  • Fendya Family
  • Liz A.
  • Deb and Ed McCarthy
  • Anonymous
  • Beau Harbin
  • Joseph C.
  • John B.
  • Kelly D.
  • Seth Tilley
  • Ben R.
  • Rifes
  • Dean & Wendy
  • Adrian B.
  • Elias K.
  • Tom &Suzanne M.
  • Michele G.
  • Kristina Strain
  • Marlo C.
  • Michelle B.
  • Sal & Ginny B.
  • Joe C.
  • Two Crazy Kats
  • Bob Cat