We kicked off the day with an inspiring visit to Elpis Enterprises, a nonprofit dedicated to job training and placement for at-risk youth aged 16-23. Through several social enterprises, youth gain financial and digital literacy, business skills, and customer service experience. Our participants had a blast crafting wooden bird feeders from reclaimed cedar fencing.

Next, we headed to the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity office, which was a wonderful venue for our gathering of 38 in-person and 7 virtual attendees. Reuse Minnesota shared program updates and invited members to do the same. 

After the member meeting, some of the group explored Purrniture Cat Furniture, where we saw firsthand how repurposed materials are transformed into creative cat furniture—from steps to towers.

Our final stop was a guided walking tour of the Chroma Zone Murals in Saint Paul's Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ). This vibrant district, home to artists, architects, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers, offered a stunning display of murals and insights into the artists behind them. 

The day was packed with sharing, exploring the many forms of reuse, and connecting with our Reuse Minnesota members and guests. Save the date for our annual meeting on Wednesday, November 20th at Malcolm Yards in Minneapolis! Come meet your board candidates for a meet and greet.

"I'm just inspired by being around another person in reuse," said one member after a brief networking chat. We couldn’t agree more— the positive energy, support, and impactful work of all our member organizations IS inspiring!