If you’ve been following the blog and facebook, you know the reason we’re hosting tonight’s Talent & Treasure Auction is so we can raise at least $6,000 toward our stipend for our two current Americorps Members, Brad and Scott. But what you might not know is how much more that 6K gets us. For almost 2yrs now we’ve been truly blessed to work with Americorps WNY and the 6 members who have served with us, Michele Silberman, Matthew Lapennas, Ben Kaiser, Rachel Mathews, Scott Kozak and Brad Kujawski.
There is no way we could have started all we have been able to accomplish with the Tool Library, all of the community gardens, the free DIY workshops, volunteer coordination, store maintenance, neighborhood improvements, tabling events and our other events and shenanigans without them–we couldn’t have even done as fabulous a job with the Extreme Demo or the Extreme Premiere!
Although we have had hundreds of hours from volunteers, this crew has provided the necessary volunteer training and support and filled in the gaps when we were short on volunteers and staff.  Their service has been crucial to this organization.

In my opinion our Americorps Members have done more to create ReUse’s positive reputation in the community than any other single person in our organization. We cannot maintain our high level of activity or grow without them.
I hope that if you do support the mission of Buffalo ReUse, you will come to tonight’s auction. It is absolutely a worthy cause. If you cannot make it to tonight’s event, but you still want to make a donation toward our Americorps stipend, please click here to go to our secure Paypal page or you can also mail a check.   Please put “Americorps stipend” in the memo section.  I also invite you to click on the photo which will take you to hundreds of other photos that prove just how much our Americorps Members have done for Buffalo, our neighborhood and this organization.
Thank you for your support.

Several of our artist friends are exhibiting at the huge BEYOND | IN WNY 2010 art extravaganza this weekend:

Dennis Maher – lover of all things deconstructed, and we don’t mean words and sentences and paragraphs . . .

Carl Lee – our favorite filmmaker; his exhibited work will be familiar to demolition fans . . .

JM Reed – photographer, real estate broker and supporter/advisor of Buffalo housing activists such as ourselves . . .

All three are exhibiting at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College. Opening reception is this Sunday, 2pm to 4pm.

Buffalo ReUse’s membership drive is in full effect this week leading up to Tuesday’s (the 28th) annual member’s meeting.  Details can be found on our facebook page that is linked.

So far this month, Pat Burke won a free car wash from our over-sized rain barrel and Leslie McCain has won a cozy hooded Buffalo ReUse sweatshirt.  Last weeks lucky recipient Eileen Meglar is taking home a rain barrel for her yard!

The last prize for the month is going to be an autographed yearbook from the Buffalo Sabres.  It’s signed by defenceman Chris Butler.  Any new or existing members that sign up between the 20th and the 27th for a membership are eligible for this jewel of a prize.

Membership costs only $5 a year and one of the nice perks is that you get 15% off once a month on the last Thursday of the month from our ReSource.  Membership also allows you to have a say at our annual members meeting when they occur.  If that isn’t enough, by being a member of Buffalo ReUse it makes you eligible to join our tool library.  Details can be found from on the tool libraries website.  It works just like a regular library and yes even has late fees too! Don’t be scared, it isn’t much.  Check out the website for more information.

The North American Association for Environmental Education NAAEE is hosting their conference here in the BFLO next week at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center!   Thursday, September 30th and Friday, October 1st there will be an Artist’s Market

This is your chance to shine and share your craftsmanship and art that you’ve created from found objects, recycled materials and/or “trash.”  If you’re an artist that works in reclaimed metals or wood, this would be right up your alley!  If you incorporate old knobs or mirrors or architectural details in your pieces–you could exhibit and sell your works, your portfolio or photos of the objects at the conference!  Please contact Marika if you want volunteer or exhibit:
Marika Woods-Frankenstein
WNY Sustainable Energy Association
Project Manager: The WNY Sustainable E-Mobile
afrankenstein {at} juno(.)com
(716) 881-7370

NAAEE will be providing tables and chairs. Items can be loaded in on Thursday 7:30 am until Noon and loaded up after 8 pm on Friday.  There will be NO electricity, so all transactions will be cash only.

Probably one of the more unique things we’ve set aside for the auction is this pair of towel bars. I didn’t even know we had milk glass anything and then Ian opened up the china cabinet like a magician opening a forbidden closet–the only thing missing was his silk cape!  “Wow!” I said and then Ian pulled out 2 white wands–which turned out to be the hanging bars for a short face-towel and longer hand-towel bar.  The bar is milk glass and the mounting brackets are white porcelain.  They are flawless.  A similar one on-line is currently selling for over $100.  These pieces would be perfect in a baby’s nursery or to display small quilts.  If you attached enamel s-hooks from them you could even use them to hang several towels, coats or other clothes.
We also have a candy bowl with a grape motif for the auction and Ian says there are milk glass lamp globes in the china cabinet at the store too–just ask for them.
According to wiki, milk glass was originally made in Venice and most popular at the turn of the century.  The white opaque glass was achieved by adding a tin dioxide or bone ash.

You could add to your collection if you’re the winning bidder at the Talent & Treasure Auction Saturday night!  View the other pieces here.  Join us at the Buffalo Bar & Grille at 307 Louisiana St. from 8-10pm

Folks, there is a rare opportunity for you to help us out this Friday–Sept24th! with processing materials on our current green demolition project.  It’s a very large cinder block warehouse and we need help: denailing, loading the truck and paletizing block, brick and other materials–some repetitive heavy lifting.  Amanda is the project manager and she will be directing folks on-site.  Please wear work clothes, layers–kudos for bright safety orange or yellow, and heavy soled boots/shoes for your own safety (steel toe–if you have them).  It’s important that you be at the ReSource, 298 Northampton, at 9:15am to sign-in, grab a hardhat and other safety gear.

We will carpool to the job site at 10am.  There is a port-o-jon on-site.  It’s a good idea to pack a lunch.
Be ready to sweat!

Paint me EXCITED!
I am beaming because Diane sent us images of her submission for our first-ever fashion show of garbage couture! If you know a fashionista, designer or dumpster diver who might be interested in creating some clothing for the show–please forward them the link for the CALL FOR ARTISTS. The deadline to submit your design is October 13th, but don’t wait because there are a lot of other details to take care of!

If you’d like to help with the exhibiton, please email volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org

ReTHREAD
Thursday, October 21st
7–10pm
ArtSpace
1219 Main Street in Midtown Buffalo

Saturday, September 25th you’ll have the opportunity to bid on several types of special knobs at our Talent & Treasure Auction! Ian and Kevin have set aside a beautiful complete lock set for you–it has an amber glass knob, an art deco face plate and even the matching skeleton key!
They found a knob set that has an arabic motif and another small crystal french door knob with fluting? flutes? flutations? (idk–it’s just super fancy!)  Ian says, “Like the true crystal knobs they are very clear due to the high magnesium content in the glass and slow cooling rates. These are especially unique because we do not often see knobs so small and finely patterned as these.”

Different strokes for different folks–we’re also offering a studded metal knob and face plate set and a set of HUGE Harvard hinges!  ALSO, you can win a tour of Dr Dale Sponaugle’s impressive doorknob collection, known as, “THE best collection of doorknobs and Victorian door hardware in
the United States!”
Aside from the auction pieces, it will be a very amusing night. I hope you can bring a friend!

If you’d like to help with the Auction, we’ll need folks to help us transport and display the pieces, greeters and other general helpers–please email Danielle volunteer {at} buffaloreuse(.)org

Buffalo ReUse is partnering with Planet Green to save the Earth!!

Thanks to a great program from Planet Green, Buffalo ReUSE is raising funds AND helping the planet with a new recycling initiative.

We now recycle empty inkjet cartridges and old cell phones at The ReSource!! Please bring old inkjet cartridges and cell phones to our brown recycling box on your next shopping trip. When you recycle these items at The ReSource, Planet Green gives us cash for our community programs!

Check out our web portal on the Planet Green site – Bookmark this page!!

www.planetgreenrecycle.com/buffaloreuse

If you buy inkjet cartridges online, try out Planet Green’s recycled cartridges.

They are really affordable, averaging $10-15 per cartridge.

When you buy Planet Green recycled cartridges through our web portal, everyone wins!!

• We win because Buffalo ReUse receives a 15% donation for every inkjet cartridge purchased.
• You win because you save $$ on your printer ink and shipping is free when you stock up.
• The Planet wins because recycled and remanufactured inkjets reduce landfill waste.
• Planet Green wins because they are an American Remanufacturer who is happy to do business with all of us!!

Buffalo ReUse looking into expanding this recycling and fundraising effort. If you know an affordable way to recycle batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and other materials that are difficult to dispose of, please let us know!

So far, So good for both new and renewal memberships.  We are  consistently getting new memberships as well as well as renewals as we approach our annual members meeting on the 28th.  It will be help from 6 to 8 pm at the Friends of the Elderly which can be located at 118 E. Utica St (sponsored by the Masten Coalition).

Membership in Buffalo ReUse is open to anyone who supports our mission.

Membership costs $5 for one year for an individual.

We have quarterly meetings in March, June, September, and December.

All throughout September, we are giving away prizes to certain members when they either renew their membership or just become a member for the first time!  This week we are going to be giving away a rain barrel to one randomly selected member.  You will be contacted by weeks end to be notified of your great prize!

The winners from the last two weeks are Pat Burke and Leslie McCain.  The first weeks was Pat and you are the lucky recipient to receive a free car wash from us via our Big Arse Rain Barrel that collects water runoff from our ReSource.  The second week we chose to give away a hoody to the winner and Leslie was the lucky member of this warm and cozy piece of ReUse merchandise.  To claim your prize please email Scott {at} buffaloreuse(.)org or call the office at 885-4131.