Our United Villages

TO BUILD COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN THE PORTLAND REGION BY ENSURING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE RECLAIMED HOME IMPROVEMENT MATERIALS, REUSE EDUCATION, AND REPAIR SKILLS SO PEOPLE CAN BE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND REDUCE WASTE.

REBUILDING CENTER STORE: OUR 30,000 SQ. FOOT STORE IS A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE FOR REUSE OF SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE MATERIALS, AND WITH THE HIGH COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS OUR SERVICES ARE NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER. IT'S A TREASURE TROVE OF PORTLAND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY SALVAGED FROM DECONSTRUCTED AND RENOVATED OLD HOMES, AS WELL AS NEW MATERIALS FROM OUR PARTNERS INCONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT. WE ACCEPT MORE THAN THREE MILLION POUNDS OF DONATED OF BUILDING MATERIALS AND HOME GOODS PER YEAR AND OFFER THEM FOR SALE TO OUR COMMUNITY, KEEPING THE MATERIALS OUT OF THE LANDFILL AND BACK INTO USE. FROM $50 SOLID WOOD DOORS TO HIGH-QUALITY LIGHTING FOR UP TO 90% OFF OF RETAIL PRICES, PLUMBING TO ANTIQUE WINDOWS, UNIQUE DECORATIVE ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS TO RECLAIMED LUMBERWE OFFER IT ALL AT AFFORDABLE PRICES TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD THE MATERIALS THEY NEED TO SAFELY REPAIR AND RENOVATE THEIR HOMES. WE ALSO DONATE MORE THAN $10,000 IN MATERIALS TO LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY WITH THEIR SERVICES.

REPAIR SKILLS EDUCATION: THROUGH OUR REPAIR SKILLS CLASSES, WE TEACH OUR COMMUNITY HOW TO PERFORM SAFE, AFFORDABLE, SUSTAINABLE HOME REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS, AND HOW TO MAINTAIN THEIR HOMES. FOR MANY HOMEOWNERS, THEIR HOUSE IS THEIR MOST SIGNIFICANT ASSET, BUT THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN THAT ASSET AS A MEANS TO BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH. WE OFFER MORE THAN 150 CLASSER PER YEAR TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO KEEP THEIR HOMES SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, FUNCTIONAL, AND IN GOOD REPAIR. STUDENTS LEARN SKILLS IN BASIC CARPENTRY, PLUMBING REPAIR, ELECTRICAL REPAIR AND INSTALLATION, FLOOR REFINISHING, DRYWALL REPAIR, AND MORE. THROUGH THIS WORK, WE BUILD COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE IN REPAIR, SAVING OUR COMMUNITY MONEY, BUILDING ECONOMIC RESILIENCE, KEEPING STUFF OUT OF LANDFILLS,AND EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO STAY IN THEIR OWN HOMES. THE AVERAGE COST OF A THREE-HOUR CLASS IS $70, AND WE OFFER BOTH A RACIAL JUSTICE SCHOLARSHIP FOR BLACK, LATINX, AND INDIGENOUS PARTICIPANTS, AND A NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIP FOR ANYONE EARNING LESS THAN $35,000.

VOLUNTEER SERVICES: OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM ENGAGES 2,250 PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS EACH YEAR. TOGETHER, THEY PROVIDE NEARLY 15,000 HOURS OF VALUED COMMUNITY SERVICE, TAILORED TO EACH VOLUNTEER'S SKILLS AND INTERESTS. VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO AT THE HEART OF OUR ANNUAL DAY OF SERVICE, PERFORMING ESSENTIAL HOME REPAIRS FOR HOMEOWNERS LIVING WITH LOW INCOMES AND AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT FROM OUR COMMUNITY.