CHICAGO – October 7, 2019 – 90 Chicago REALTORS® will create furniture out of repurposed scrap metal and wood for charity on Tuesday, October 22nd at the Rebuilding Exchange.
This volunteer day is another way REALTORS® are showing their commitment to giving back and finding sustainable solutions for our neighborhoods. At Rebuilding Exchange, they’ll work with master woodmakers to recycle and repurpose salvaged scrap metal and wood into functional furniture. The REALTORS® will create a conference table and step stools that will be donated to The Hephzibah Home, a children’s group home operated by the Hephzibah Children’s Association that provides a safe space, therapy and care for children who have been abused or neglected.
“It feels good to roll-up our sleeves for the community and make a positive impact on the environment by salvaging building materials from demolition sites to create furniture,” Sarah Ware, 2020 CommercialForum Vice Chair, Principal, Ware Realty, Inc. said. “This will help our most vulnerable citizens. And we get to learn some cool woodworking skills, too!”
For the last ten years, the Rebuilding Exchange has taken scrap metal and wood from demolition projects throughout the city, which is then repurposed instead of ending being sent to landfills. It also hosts workshops and job training to help others learn the craft and the importance of sustainability in furniture-making.
“Partnerships with organizations such as the Chicago Association of REALTORS® are essential to Rebuilding Exchange’s ability to achieve our mission of creating a market for reclaimed building materials,” Julian Pastin, Interim Executive Director of Rebuilding Exchange, said. “These types of partnerships help us divert one million pounds a year from landfills, educate community members on how to creatively reuse these materials and continue our workforce development program, which provides job training for individuals with barriers to employment.”
CommercialForum is the commercial division of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and, with nearly 4,000 members, serves as Chicago’s largest commercial real estate community. CF provides brokers, owners, managers, developers, REALTORS® and non-REALTORS® access to legislative influence, education & professional development, tools, resources and networking opportunities.
The Chicago Association of REALTORS® is the “Voice of Real Estate®” in Chicago and the suburbs we serve since 1883, representing over 16,000 members from all real estate specialties including commercial sales, development, property management, appraisal, auctions and residential sales.