Monday, October 3, 2011

Low Cost Plants and Garden Supplies

I saw this message on a local garden forum and thought I would pass it along:

Hi everybody – Ruthie here, from Community Forklift, the nonprofit thrift store for home improvement. Please forgive me, I usually behave myself and let other folks on this listserve recommend CF, but we have an unusual situation right now, and we need to get the word out very quickly!

Please help spread the word: we have TRUCKLOADS of landscaping materials, grasses, trees, & edible plants arriving this week at our warehouse (leftover from the Solar Decathalon). We don't have any way to water them, so we need to find homes for them very soon. Starting Wednesday, they will be available to the public at very low cost.  More details at the bottom of this message.

Thanks so much!
Ruthie
301-985-5180
Ruthie(at)CommunityForklift.com

Our cavernous warehouse is located in the Hyattsville area, about 15
minutes southeast of Takoma Park, at 4671 Tanglewood Drive, Edmonston MD 20781.

Call 301-985-5180 or visit www.CommunityForklift.com for store hours & directions

ABOUT THE PLANTS AND LANDSCAPING:

All of this great stuff is coming from the Solar Decathalon down on the National Mall. As you may know, the U.S. Department of Energy challenged collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive (This year, the hometown team won grand prize – congratulations to our friends at UMD!!!)

The teams are currently breaking down their exhibits, and many have asked us to pick up their leftover landscaping items so it won't go to waste. We've gotten offers of decking & railing, as well as hundreds of shrubs, small trees, native grasses, edible plants, and straw bales (Purdue University even offered us a 24' garage. It took us hours on the phone to find a crane & flatbed, but we finally arranged for it to be transported to DC Groundworks, a great nonprofit in need of a storage building).

So, we're still not sure exactly how much we'll be able to get, but starting this Wednesday, Oct. 5th, it will be here waiting for you! (Note that we are closed on Mondays & Tuesdays – visit www.CommunityForklift.com for store hours & directions)

PRICED TO MOVE – we gotta find 'em good homes before they die. We're not set up to water hundreds of plants, and it would be a shame if they wilted before they find homes. So, we'll be pricing them to move! For example, we expect that most shrubs, grasses, edible plants, and trees will be priced at one to ten dollars each. Straw bales (perfect for a fall or Halloween display in your yard) will be only two bucks each.

******

ABOUT COMMUNITY FORKLIFT: We are a nonprofit thrift store for home improvement & architectural salvage. Instead of donating clothing or couches, folks donate renovation leftovers like cabinets, doors, lights, and lumber. The building materials are then made available to the public at very low prices (40% to 90% below big-box stores), and donated to local nonprofits. To improve our financial stability, we have also brought in consignment partners to offer higher-end products: unusual antiques & primitives, raw-edge hardwoods, & reconditioned appliances. We are owned & operated by local 501c3 nonprofit Sustainable Community Initiatives, so donations are tax-deductible.

Since opening in 2005, Community Forklift has made it possible for thousands of DC-area homeowners and nonprofits to repair substandard housing. Not only have 18 green jobs been created at the store, but hundreds of local contractors have been able to keep their estimates low, allowing them to attract clients and keep working despite the tough economy. Reuse of materials also means that fewer materials go into the landfill, which reduces the burden on local governments; and that less energy is used to extract, manufacture, and transport new materials. Reuse is better for our wallets and our world!

1 comment:

  1. IMPORTANT UPDATE: the free plants are spoken for, but the low-cost plants will still be available starting 10 am Wednesday Oct. 5th at Community Forklift. *** If you forwarded our original message to other groups, please forward this one as well.***

    Dear friends: AN URGENT UPDATE about my announcement of the landscaping items arriving at Community Forklift Thrift Store for Home Improvement.

    1) In just a day, we have been overwhelmed by requests from nonprofits and schools all over the region, AND

    2) We may be receiving fewer items that we had hoped, due to the nature of the breakdown of the Solar Decathalon event (Although the Department of Energy and the student teams have been super helpful, they have to dispose of everything very quickly before their houses are lifted by cranes onto flatbeds. This was the first year they have donated leftovers to us, but we have heard that reuse may be even more integrated into the next Decathalon in 2013).

    THEREFORE, WE HAVE HAD TO MAKE A TOUGH CALL. At this point, we will not be able to donate materials to any nonprofits that have not already contacted us and received a reply. We are very sorry about that (We'd love to give everything away, but as a local nonprofit ourselves, we need to sell enough plants to cover costs for labor and the truck we rented to pick it all up).

    You may still email your nonprofit mission and 501c3 number to Ruthie(at)CommunityForklift.com, and you will be placed on a wait list in the order your information is received. If some of the first groups do not pick up their items quickly, we may contact you.

    If, however, you don’t want to take your chances on the wait list, WE WILL STILL HAVE PLANTS AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT OUR THRIFT STORE STARTING WEDNESDAY AT 10 AM and continuing while supplies last. We will not be able to announce the prices until we know what items we have, but they will certainly be cheaper than retail value.

    Lastly, we do make periodic donations of other types of building materials to nonprofits throughout the year, so do not hesitate to ask us for help in the future!

    Thank you so much for your understanding.

    Sincerely,
    Ruthie Mundell, Outreach Director
    301-985-5180 / Ruthie(at)CommunityForklift.com

    ***
    ABOUT COMMUNITY FORKLIFT: We are a nonprofit thrift store for home improvement & architectural salvage, located 5 min. outside the NE DC line (for directions & hours, call 301-985-5180 or visit http://www.CommunityForklift.com).

    Instead of donating clothing or couches, folks donate renovation leftovers like cabinets, doors, lights, and lumber. The building materials are then made available to the public at very low prices (40% to 90% below big-box stores), and donated to local nonprofits. To improve our financial stability, we have also brought in consignment partners to offer higher-end products: unusual antiques & primitives, raw-edge hardwoods, & reconditioned appliances. We are owned & operated by local 501c3 nonprofit Sustainable Community Initiatives, so donations are tax-deductible.

    Since opening in 2005, Community Forklift has made it possible for thousands of DC-area homeowners and nonprofits to repair substandard housing. Not only have 18 green jobs been created at the store, but hundreds of local contractors have been able to keep their estimates low, allowing them to attract clients and keep working despite the tough economy. Reuse of materials also means that fewer materials go into the landfill, which reduces the burden on local governments; and that less energy is used to extract, manufacture, and transport new materials. Reuse is better for our wallets and our world!

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