Thank you to everyone who joined us for our quarterly member meeting in St. Cloud. It was a fun day of learning, networking, and exploring local reuse organizations who are making a difference in central Minnesota. We were grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with longtime members, say hello to new faces, and celebrate the growing impact of Minnesota’s reuse community.

Exploring reuse in St. Cloud

The day began with tours of two local sites: St. Cloud City Hall and the St. Cloud Recycled Art Project Shop (SCRAPS). 

Attendees learned about the City of St. Cloud’s adaptive reuse project, which transformed the former Tech High School building into the city’s primary administrative hub. The project serves as an example of how existing buildings can be repurposed to meet community needs while preserving resources and local history.

Inside City Hall, we visited SCRAPS, a creative reuse space that provides donated art and craft supplies free of charge to community members. Participants learned about the organization’s programming, including Maker Mondays and Little Free Art kits, which help make creativity accessible to all.

Meeting highlights

After the morning tours, we gathered at the Stearns History Museum for the meeting portion of the day. The meeting featured updates on programming, sharing of events, and two member spotlights.

Membership growth

Since our last quarterly meeting, Reuse Minnesota has welcomed 43 new and renewing members! It's exciting to see this growth, and we're grateful for the support of our members to help us expand the reuse movement.

Introducing the Business Advisory Council

We were pleased to introduce the members of Reuse Minnesota’s newly formed Business Advisory Council:

• Danielle Claseman
• Jan Hagerman
• Christopher Lenzen
• Cat Polivoda-Grae
• Roxanne Sanchez
• Mac Sellars

These council members represent Minnesota's diverse reuse business sector. They will provide valuable guidance and insight to help strengthen Reuse Minnesota’s advocacy, programming, and outreach efforts.

Program updates

Fix-It Clinics continue to expand throughout the state, helping Minnesotans repair household items, learn new skills, and reduce waste. To support this growth, Reuse Minnesota is now offering free technical assistance to organizations interested in launching new Fix-It Clinics in their communities. Reach out to us at fixit@reusemn.org to learn more.

We also shared updates on our busy summer season, including several Hennepin County swap events that Reuse Minnesota is helping produce and support.

REUSE26 registration is open

We're getting excited to bring you the REUSE26 Conference, and registration is officially open. There are many ways to participate, whether as a sponsor, exhibitor, speaker, or attendee.

This year’s conference will also feature optional community impact site visits, including stops at ArtScraps, Curiosity Studio, Architectural Antiques, Alta Technologies, and Cool Trash. For only $15/tour, you'll be able to go behind-the-scenes to see how these organizations are making an impact on Minnesota’s reuse economy.

Welcoming new member organizations

We were excited to spotlight two new member organizations during the meeting.

Willmar CommUNITY Closet provides free clothing and shoes to community members through a volunteer-run model supported entirely by donations. Their work helps ensure that essential items remain accessible to those who need them most. 

fledj is a new peer-to-peer sharing platform designed to make community-based sharing easier and more accessible. By reducing barriers to borrowing and sharing goods, fledj helps strengthen local connections while maximizing the use of existing resources.

Tour at ConnectAbility

After lunch and additional networking conversations, attendees reconvened at ConnectAbility’s Waite Park location. 

ConnectAbility supports individuals with physical and invisible disabilities through a variety of programs and services. During our visit, we toured their donated medical equipment program, where we saw a large inventory of mobility aids, medical supplies, and adaptive equipment that are redistributed to people in need.

We also explored the Assistive Technology Lab, a unique space where community members can test adaptive products before making purchasing decisions. 

Celebrating reuse across Minnesota

From adaptive building reuse and creative reuse, to medical equipment redistribution, the day highlighted all the ways organizations across Minnesota are putting reuse into action and making a positive impact on their communities. 

Thanks to all the members and guests who joined us and made the day a success! We hope you all enjoyed spending time together, sharing ideas, and learning from one another. Be sure to save the date for our next member meeting on August 20 in the Twin Cities!