RE SOURCES RE SOURCES for Sustainable Communities

The RE Store: More than a store, The RE Store (a project of RE Sources) on Meridian Street in Bellingham is a local champion for reuse and reinvention. Through a suite of programs, we provide training to disadvantaged workers, salvage building materials, build furniture, and teach reuse. In 2023, we diverted 1,722,200 pounds of building materials from the landfill; performed 229 free pickups throughout Whatcom County and beyond; and were hired for 26 deconstruction projects. The RE Store also helped trainees gain valuable on-the-job skills through the Community Jobs Training Program, which has equipped hundreds of economically disadvantaged residents and/or people re-entering the job market with tools they need to succeed. In 2023, 90% of our Community Jobs Training Program trainees who completed their work contract found employment or were enrolled in a local college. We also partnered with Sustainable Connections to build and launch Washington state's first official "Freedge" shed, a mini food pantry for perishables available to everyone and that has diverted over 8,000 pounds of food waste.

Environmental Advocacy and Science: From the forested headwaters of Mount Baker to the depths of the Salish Sea, the way we treat one landscape impacts all the others. RE Sources employs advocacy, education, science and action across these landscapes so we can address pollution, environmental degradation, and climate change in the most impactful ways possible. In 2023, thanks to community action both locally and across the state, we protected 650 acres of forest in Whatcom County and 2,000 acres across western Washington. Moreover, RE Sources successfully advocated for Whatcom County Council to form a "Forest Resilience Task Force." We held four public tours of contaminated cleanup sites in Bellingham Bay and Blaine; completed 158 hours of monitoring and patrols of our rivers, creeks, and marine shorelines; and held several beach cleanups where over 200 volunteers collected almost 2,000 pounds of trash. In addition, we partnered with labor unions to urge passage of stronger safety rules for oil refineries vital for preventing potentially deadly incidents, while also reducing the more common non-fatal incidents of toxic exposures and emergency flaring that releases toxic pollution. We were also part of a statewide coalition that successfully advocated for a new state law that creates a pathway for local jurisdictions to weave carbon reduction and climate adaptation into their comprehensive plans.

Educating for the Environment: The kids aren't alright, but we can help. A 2022 national EdWeek survey found that 37% of teenagers feel anxious when they think about climate change and its effects. That's why we're aligning our climate and environmental education offerings with pathways to hope through action. In 2023, we partnered with other local nonprofits and the Washington State ClimeTime program, to offer 5 professional development courses for 120 Whatcom County K-12 teachers. We also connected 25 high school students with avenues for local climate action across 825 hours through our Youth for the Environment & People (YEP!) program. Student cohorts implemented three semester-long projects in the community to address a different climate-related issue of the students' choosing. YEP! led to a 48% increase in how hopeful students felt that we as a society can address climate change and create a positive future. In addition, we equipped 150 fifth grade students with tools to green their school. The students performed a waste investigation at their school, and about 80 of the students worked to reduce food waste going into the landfill at their schools by improving waste bin signage, volunteering as "lunchroom monitors", and installing a water bottle refill station.