10/20/2026
October 20 is National Reuse Day! Creative Reuse is a non-profit that inspires creativity, conservation, and community engagement through reuse. Today, we are celebrating the 4 Joys of Reuse with :
The Joy of Making: We offer hands-on creative programming to educate the public about the benefits of reuse for the environment, community, and self. Many of our programs prompt participants to think about their contributions to their local community, how reuse can become a part of their art-making practice, and how we can create the world we wish to see through art, reuse, and community connection!
The Joy of Finding: While you can find endless treasures throughout our retail space, you can also find a sense of community. Through our volunteer program, you can find both! The volunteers at Creative Reuse help sort, research, and price many of the materials that go out into the shop, and they have fun doing it.
"I love the people who shop there and volunteer there and work there. It’s a community I feel comfortable in. I am always amazed by the artists who use the shop as a resource and what they are able to do with the things they find there." — Nancy (longtime volunteer)
The Joy of Choosing:
Small choices can make a huge impact in a world where single-use materials are increasingly common. For example, choosing to shop secondhand supports local businesses and gives preexisting materials another chance to be used. As a result, we can keep useful supplies in circulation and reduce the need to produce excess resources. Every time you choose to reuse, you are helping to build a more sustainable and creative community!
The Joy of Fixing:
Repairing and mending are great ways to give materials a second life, and we love highlighting artists in our community who incorporate these practices into their work! Through our social media & gallery program, we spotlight artists who find creative ways to rescue, restore, and repurpose materials. Last year, our gallery featured Rescued Quilts, an exhibition by longtime quilter and Creative Reuse volunteer Agnes Poropatic, who gives unfinished quilts a new life.
