Boston Nonprofit Helps Homeowners of All Incomes With Their Renovation Dreams

Cabinets, doors, stoves and vanities. They are just a few of the ever-changing selection of products you can find at the Boston Building Resources Reuse Center.

The organization, located in Roxbury, has been there since the 1970s when the co-op started, and then shortly after that, the Reuse Center began as a project of the co-op. 

The center resells donated home improvement materials at a deep discount, offering additional savings to low-income customers who qualify. 

Executive Director Kord Jablonski says the mission is really twofold.

“There's the opportunity to help individuals and small contractors and folks enhance their homes and living spaces. But also, these things don't end up in a landfill.”

The building itself has zero carbon footprint complete with electric heating and cooling and a rooftop solar array. Furthering the organization’s mission to be as green as possible.

Morad Kiani buys, renovates and rents out buildings in the area.  He says he’s been making this his first stop when shopping for project materials for 26 years. One of his favorite finds are the tiles. 

Local contractor Ed Honeycutt has been a customer and donor for over a decade.

“I love the items here. I get great deals and I try to pass those on, especially to lower-income people.”

“If I'm doing a fancy kitchen downtown that's got a lot of fancy stuff for countertops or cabinets, I will bring them here. There are a lot of good products that people throw away," Honeycutt says.

Finding unique items at bargain prices is a big part of the center’s success and allure, combined with its continued efforts to support the community and better the environment in the process.

“You just can't find things elsewhere at these prices and they won't be thrown out and you'll give something another life. What we really want to do is to have folks from further away come visit us here and shop here, and for more people to know about the work that we're doing," Jablonski says.

Anyone can shop at the Reuse Center and anyone can donate. To find out how to make a donation or to see if you qualify for a membership you can head to https://www.bostonbuildingresources.com/. 

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