Upcycle CHQ

10/19/2026

Somewhere in our community, someone has materials sitting unused, while someone else is searching for those very materials to complete a project, start something new or make something useful.

What if we could help more of those people find each other?

Through Upcycle CHQ, we’ve already seen how sharing materials can bring people together, save money, support local makers, create new opportunities and build real connections beyond Facebook.

So let’s see what we have available in our community!

- Wood, lumber and building materials
- Fabric, yarn and sewing supplies
- Art and craft materials
- Furniture and household items
- Tools, equipment and spare parts
- Gardening and farm materials
- Containers, packaging and other reusable materials

Have something to share, sell or exchange? Post it in the comments!

- Tell us what you have
- Indicate whether it’s FREE, FOR SALE or EXCHANGE
- Add pictures if possible

And if you see something you need, reply to the person offering it and make a connection!

Let’s turn unused materials into useful resources, new projects, local opportunities and real community connections.

Sometimes building a stronger community begins with something as simple as sharing what we already have.

Please share this post so more people throughout Chautauqua County can participate!

10/18/2026

Are you in Dunkirk/Fredonia and nearby go get you some fresh apples, grapes and all the things that Miller's Apples have for sale today!

Oct 18 - morning glow and ready to go!

We are open 10 am to 4 pm.

10/18/2026

A little reminder that the Upcycle CHQ Art & Craft Materials Drive is underway!

Before you throw away or store away those unused art and craft supplies, consider donating them to support creativity and hands-on learning in our communities.

Here’s what local educators have been asking for:

- Paints, brushes, markers, pencils, scissors and other art supplies

- Art paper, cardstock, journals, sketchbooks, cardboard and scrapbook materials

- Fabric scraps, cotton fabric, yarn, buttons, sewing and crochet supplies

- Afghan/Tunisian crochet hooks

- Old magazines, newspapers, maps, postcards, calendars, sheet music and other collage materials

- Foam insulation board scraps, even pieces as small as 6” × 6”

- Old working typewriters, records and other useful creative materials

Even small quantities can make a difference! Please make sure materials are clean, safe and usable.

- Where Can You Donate?

Jamestown: GreenClusta/UpcycleCHQ Office, 322 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, directly across from the DoubleTree Hotel. Message UpcycleCHQ to arrange drop-off.

Dunkirk: We also have a community Material Hub serving the Dunkirk area. Message us for connection and drop-off arrangements.

We’re still looking for individuals, businesses and organizations willing to serve as pickup and drop-off points in other communities across Chautauqua County.

- Teachers, homeschool families, art clubs and youth programs: Please continue telling us what materials you need so we can help connect you with available supplies.

This is about more than collecting donations. We’re exploring how to build an ongoing School Materials Exchange, where useful materials from our community can continue supporting education, creativity and practical skills.

What unused art or craft materials do you have at home or at your business that students could put to good use?

Tell us in the comments, tag someone or send UpcycleCHQ a message!

10/17/2026

From Recycled Paper and Thrifted Yarn to Handmade Jewelry and Hats!

Remember Brenda Jakiela-Wilcox one of our UpcycleCHQ makers?

During our Upcycle CHQ Maker Pilot Program, Brenda has been turning recycled paper into beautiful handmade beads and jewelry, while also creating hats from yarn she finds at thrift stores.

One of her discoveries happened while learning to make paper beads. She noticed that one bead looked like a football, so she unrolled it to figure out the pattern. That little discovery led her to develop and improve her own Lucky Football Beads!

Today, she’s creating necklaces, bracelets, earrings and colorful handmade hats, including a hat-and-scarf combination.

And these creations are available for purchase!

What we love about Brenda’s work is how she combines curiosity, practical skills and everyday materials to create something people can enjoy and wear.

This is one of the opportunities we’re working to grow through UpcycleCHQ—helping local makers turn reusable materials and creativity into products that can generate income.

Take a look at Brenda’s creations in the pictures!

See something you like? Comment below or reach out to Brenda.

Let’s support our local makers and keep creativity and value right here in our community!

If you make anything follow our page and reach out to us we will share about you and what you make!💚👍

10/16/2026

Upcycle CHQ want to connect the people, businesses, organizations, skills, materials, tools, spaces and markets involved in woodworking, furniture and building materials reuse across our community.

There is valuable furniture, lumber, fixtures, hardware and other building materials around us that could remain in use instead of being discarded. At the same time, there are people in our community with decades of knowledge and skills—and others eager to learn.

The network is about connecting all of these pieces.

Who needs to be part of this network?

- Woodworkers & Furniture Makers — professional, hobbyist or retired.

- Carpenters, Cabinetmakers & Skilled Tradespeople — including retired professionals with knowledge to share.

- Furniture Repairers, Restorers, Refinishers & Upholsterers.

- Contractors, Remodelers, Builders & Demolition/Deconstruction Professionals who encounter reusable materials through their work.

- Building Material Salvage & Architectural Reuse People — anyone experienced in recovering doors, cabinets, lumber, flooring, fixtures, hardware and other building components.

- Furniture, Lumber, Hardware, Building Supply & Woodworking Businesses interested in materials, partnerships, referrals or community projects.

- Property Owners, Landlords, Realtors, Estate-Sale/Cleanout Businesses & Property Managers who regularly encounter furniture and building materials that need another home.

- Manufacturers & Businesses With Material Leftovers — wood offcuts, discontinued materials, damaged inventory, fixtures, pallets or other potentially reusable resources.

- Retired Builders, Craftspeople & Tradespeople interested in mentoring, demonstrating techniques or passing their knowledge to another generation.

- Schools, Colleges, Libraries, Makerspaces & Training Organizations interested in woodworking, trades, repair and hands-on learning.

- Local Government, Land Banks, Economic Development Organizations & Nonprofits interested in reuse, workforce development, waste reduction and local economic opportunity.

- Organizations or Property Owners With Potential Workshop, Storage or Material-Exchange Space.

- People or Businesses With Transportation, Trucks, Trailers or Material-Handling Capacity.

- Makers, Artists, Designers, DIYers & Entrepreneurs interested in creating products from reclaimed materials.

- People Who Want to Learn woodworking, furniture restoration, repair, reuse or related practical skills.

- Customers, Retailers & Organizations Interested in Buying or Commissioning Locally Made and Restored Products.

Why build the network?

Because the opportunity is bigger than one Maker Program.

We could create connections for material sharing and exchange, furniture repair and restoration, skills training, mentorship, business referrals, workshops, product development, material recovery, local sales and new micro-enterprise opportunities.

Our upcoming Woodworking, Furniture & Building Materials Reuse Maker Program can be one of the first ways we activate this network and learn what is possible.

A few community members and local businesses are already showing interest, so now we’re extending the invitation.

- Do you see yourself, your business or your organization somewhere in this network?

-Comment below
- Send us a Direct Message here on Facebook
- or Email [email protected]

And please tag a person, business or organization that needs to be part of this conversation.

The skills are here. The materials are here. The businesses are here. The needs are here. Let’s connect them.

10/15/2026

‼️UpcycleCHQ Material Alert: Tables, Chairs, Desks & More Available in Jamestown!‼️

Who in our community could put these items to good use before they end up in the landfill?

YWCA Jamestown is currently undergoing renovations in its childcare program, and several pieces of furniture and other useful items are becoming available.

Rather than throwing away items that someone else could use, they reached out to UpcycleCHQ to help find them new homes.

Items available include:

- Child-sized chairs
- Tables
- Filing cabinets
- Desks
- More childcare furniture and other items may become available as renovations continue.

These items could be useful for daycare providers, teachers, homeschool families, community organizations, makers, or anyone interested in repurposing them.

Location: Jamestown, NY

Interested in any of these items?

- Comment below or message YWCA Jamestown on Facebook. Contact person : Shane Monroe for availability and pickup arrangements.

You can message Upcycle CHQ too.

A big thank-you to YWCA Jamestown for thinking of reuse before disposal!

This is exactly the kind of connection we’re working to build through UpcycleCHQ—keeping usable materials in circulation and connecting them with people who need them.

Please share or tag someone who could put these items to good use!

10/15/2026

10/14/2026

Do You Have Old Tools, Equipment, or Products Made in Chautauqua County That Tell the Story of Our Manufacturing and Industrial Heritage?

Chautauqua County has a rich history of manufacturing. From furniture making and woodworking to metalworking, toolmaking, and many other industries, generations of skilled people helped build our cities and communities through the things they made.

Some of those tools, machines, products, and pieces of equipment may still be sitting in our homes, garages, barns, and workshops today. Others may have been passed down from parents, grandparents, or family members who worked in our local factories.

We would love to see them and hear their stories!

Do you have an old tool, piece of equipment, or locally manufactured product? Do you remember someone who worked in one of our factories, or know the story behind something that was made here?

At Upcycle CHQ, we’re exploring an idea: What if the tools, equipment, skills, and manufacturing knowledge that helped build our communities could also help inspire and equip the next generation of local makers?

Perhaps some of what we need to build our future is already part of our past.

Share a photo, tell us a story, or mention a local company whose products you still have today.

Let’s rediscover what Chautauqua County made, the people who made it, and the knowledge worth passing on.

10/13/2026

📢 ‼️Material Alert: Large Quantity of Bubble Wrap Available in Falconer, NY!‼️

Can Anyone Put Clean, Dry Bubble Wrap to Good Use?

A community member in Falconer, NY, has a large quantity of clean, dry bubble wrap available for reuse!

This could be useful for:
- Small businesses and online sellers who ship products
- Artists, makers, and crafters
- Anyone packing fragile items for moving or storage
- Local businesses needing protective packaging
- Creative reuse and upcycling projects

- Location: Falconer, NY
- Quantity: A LOT! Enough that you’d need a large truck to take everything, but you don’t have to take it all. Smaller quantities are welcome!

Rather than letting this useful packaging material go to waste, let’s find people and businesses who can put it back to work.

Interested? Comment below or reach out to Grant Olson or message us.

Do you have materials you no longer need? Someone else might be looking for exactly what you have!

10/13/2026

Our Next Maker Program Will Be Woodworking, Furniture & Building Materials Reuse!

We have completed our first Upcycle CHQ Maker Pilot Program, which focused primarily on sewing and textiles. What began in June as an experiment connecting reusable materials with local makers has taught us something important:

Our community is full of talented people, valuable skills and useful materials that often go undiscovered or underutilized.

Through our first pilot, we discovered skilled makers, including retired professionals with decades of experience. Materials that might otherwise have gone to waste were transformed into beautiful, useful products. Relationships were built, skills were shared, and we began connecting these products with real customers.

Now we’re preparing to take what we’ve learned into an entirely new area: Woodworking, Furniture & Building Materials Reuse!

Here’s what we hope to explore:

- Reusable Materials: Unwanted furniture, wood offcuts, lumber, cabinets, doors, flooring, hardware and other usable building materials.

- Local Skills: Woodworkers, carpenters, furniture restorers, cabinetmakers, upholsterers, retired tradespeople, artists and DIY enthusiasts.

- Business & Community Partnerships: Working with local businesses, contractors, manufacturers, property owners, organizations and other partners to identify materials, equipment, expertise and opportunities for collaboration.

- Space & Infrastructure: We’re also exploring possibilities for a physical space where reusable materials can be collected, repaired, restored and transformed.

- Skills & Economic Opportunities: Connecting experienced craftspeople with people interested in learning, creating locally made products and developing markets where those products can be sold.

But here’s the bigger question we’re exploring:

What if communities like ours could build a network where businesses and residents provide reusable materials, skilled people transform them into valuable products, and local markets help create income and new economic opportunities?

Think about the furniture, wood and building materials that are discarded every day—and the knowledge and skills already present in our communities.

How much value could we create if we brought all of these together?

We’re beginning conversations and building partnerships to help shape this next program.

We’d Love to Hear From You!

Are you a woodworker, furniture restorer, carpenter, retired tradesperson or someone who enjoys building and repairing things?

Does your business have reusable materials, tools, equipment, expertise or space that could support this effort?

- Do you know someone we should be connecting with?

-Comment below, tag someone or send UpcycleCHQ a private message.
To learn more and participate, please reach out via
Call :716 397 8771 or Email: [email protected]

Our first pilot showed us what’s possible with textiles. Now let’s discover what’s possible with wood, furniture and building materials!