Back in July, CleanScapes announced the 2011 winners of their now annual Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards competition. The big winner was a project started by members of Sustainable NE Seattle to gather and house a library of tools for members of the city to use. A location was found, renovations are underway, and the first public glimpse of a lot of hard work and long hours is upon us.
The brand new NE Seattle Tool Library (2415 NE 80th St) is holding an open house this Saturday, December 1. Community members interested in learning more about this new neighborhood resource and meeting the people who put it together would do well to attend.
From the Sustainable NE Seattle event page:
We want to have an open house and celebrate before we start moving in tools and shelves, so come by December 1 between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm, bring a snack or drink to share, tools you’d like to donate, and see the space! There will be music and room to dance, so bring your dancing shoes!
View NE Seattle Tool Library location in a larger map
Just like the already established West Seattle Tool Library (a project of Sustainable West Seattle), the NE Seattle Tool Library is free to use. From the NE Seattle Tool Library website:
Anyone over 18 is welcome to use The NE Seattle Tool Library, whether you live in NE Seattle or anywhere else in the region. Members are just required to fill out a membership application and a liability waiver as well as present two forms of ID to Tool Library staff.
But while the North Seattle Friends Church who owns the building is allowing its use rent-free, utility costs still need to be covered by the tool library. As users are guided through the online membership form, there is an opportunity to give a donation to the organization (recommended amounts are “General Public: $40, Student/Senior: $30, Low-Income: $20”). There is also a way to donate (via PayPal) on the homepage.
Greetings,
I think this project is inspired. As a hospice chaplain I see so many examples each week of how neighbors care wonderfully for neighbors, and that experience has re-shaped my sense of community life around me. This project will do the same thing as neighbors interact with the gifts and talents of folks that live around them. Abundant images of reality have the power to create that abundance in real life. (In contrast to much of the news media that tends to show only the bottom of the barrel in terms of social life in Seattle)
My father was a skilled carpenter and I inherited many of his woodworking tools as a result and I will be looking at my tool inventory to see what I can donate. I have a Kerosene heater that I know I will never use.
Will be in touch…
Kevin Henne, Boulevard Park (South Seattle)
Yes,Kevin,I agree!
I see bridges being built,communities coming together,and people reaching out to people with a helping hand!!!
I hope to see compassion flourish,as in the old days when My Father grew up during the “great depression”! People actually cared about one another,neighbor helped neighbor without care of being compensated,people helped total strangers because that was how it was!!!
I see GREAT THINGS coming out of these type of “co-ops”!!!
Let us all hope for a brighter future!!!!!!
Brent!
HOLY COW!!!!!
I just checked out the inventory for the Library—-43 PAGES!!!!!!!!!!
Last time I checked,there were 2 pages!!! This is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!
VERY NICELY DONE!!!!!!!!!
Thank You all so very much,both for the donations and for preparing the Library and doing the inventory!!!!
This is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!!!
Thanks again to all!!!!!
Brent!
Congrats from one TL to another. Good job and let us know if
we can help. www. mudproject.org
Missoula Urban Demonstration Project
AL VP MUD
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