Our blog has moved to CommunityForklift.org!

Community Forklift’s blog is now on our new website!  Please visit http://communityforklift.org/blog for the latest news, posts, and announcements!

(And don’t forget to update your bookmarks.)

See you there!

Help us win Best Green Business of 2015!

Got a second to vote?

One of our biggest challenges is that renovators don’t know that they can donate leftover materials instead of sending them to the landfill. 

But if we win the City Paper’s “Best Green Business” contest again, it will mean tons of free publicity!

This means more homeowners & contractors will find out about us, more materials will be kept out of the landfill, more folks can afford repairs, more green jobs will be created – AND you’ll find more good stuff here in the store!  Please help us win Best Green Business of 2015!

Vote now!

 

The National Building Museum needs volunteers!

 

Our friends over at the National Building Museum are up to some pretty cool things this year, including their Design Apprenticeship Program, which brings together 30 youth from the D.C. metro area to learn the basics of design and construction.

2014 NBM Teen apprentices using materials from the `Lift to build a Little Library

Community Forklift worked with the NBM apprentices last year, and we’re looking forward to doing it again.  But before they can begin, the museum needs some skilled adult volunteers to help with the students!

–>  This summer, NBM is partnering with the Petworth Community Market. The Petworth Community Market strives to be perceived as more than a place where people buy produce from local farmers. They want it to be a space where people feel comfortable, connected to their neighbors, and engaged with ideas that are important to the neighborhood. Working in studio teams, the apprentices will generate design solutions that help create a sense of community in a temporary space, a weekly and seasonal outdoor market. The end products are entirely up to the studio teams and may address issues such as presence, visibility, way-finding, and engagement.

–>  The Design Apprenticeship Program meets on Saturdays, February 28 through May 2 (with one Saturday off, on April 4), and volunteers actively instruct and assist the teens as they explore materials, learn to use power tools, and work in teams to fabricate their final product. Ideally volunteer instructors can commit to all 9 Saturdays, but we understand that sometimes life gets in the way, so 2 sessions would be the max one could miss.

–>  There is a mandatory training on Saturday, February 21, 10am-2pm (if majority of schedules don’t work with this day, will shift to a weekday evening session).

–>  More information:

–       Volunteer hours: 9:30am to 3:30pm; 9:30am is when we check-in as a staff and volunteer team, arriving at this time is really important

–       Volunteer role is heavy on instruction, so one should feel comfortable leading a group of 5-6 teens, with help from 2 other adult instructors, through the project. Any fabrication and tool experience one has will be helpful, but not mandatory.

–       Though it is my job to create and implement the curriculum, volunteer instructors should plan on spending time reviewing weekly emails (before meeting on Saturday morning) or communicating with their team outside program hours as the project progresses.

–       The first couple days will focus on revealing the project, getting to know the client, brainstorming ideas, and sourcing materials. There will be 3-4 days devoted to fabrication, and the final day will be a final presentation of their work to their family, friends, and the museum community.

–       The students are 13-18 year olds in DC, MD, and VA, and have all completed DAP I, and some have completed DAP II once or more. DAP I is always in the fall and is for new students only, and DAP II is always in the spring and is for returning students.

If you are still interested after reading, please fill out the volunteer application. Should you have any questions, please get in touch with Lauren Wilson, Teen Programs Coordinator at 202.272.2448 ext. 3301  |  202.376.3564 (fax)  |  lwilson@nbm.org |  Follow Teen Programs on Facebook and Instagram | National Building Museum  |  401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001  |  www.nbm.org  |  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Long Weekend Sale – plus great ways to celebrate and serve on MLK Day

Due to the long weekend, we are having a HUGE 4-day sale! On Friday – Monday (January 16 – 19), you can take 40% off items throughout the warehouse, and take 75% on orange-tag furniture.

As always, this sale does not include items from Tanglewood Works, certain specialty items, items with missing or damaged price tags, items from our consignment partners (Treincarnation, Salvage Arts, Alco Appliances) or Amazon Paint. The sale may not be combined with other sales.

But let’s not forget the reason for the long weekend – Martin Luther King Day!  Here’s how you can  make it a day ON, not a day off:  There are lots of events celebrating the life of Dr. King around town, and many opportunties to take part in the national day of service honoring his legacy – including service activities for kids!

And all year long, please remember:  if you belong to a nonprofit, school, community, or faith group that serves the community, Community Forklift would like to help you out.  Please visit our programs page for more information, and to apply for free supplies and materials through our Community Building Blocks program.

 

Thinking about visiting us in 2015?

Here’s what you need to know!

Community Forklift is a 40,000 square foot self-serve reuse center. We do not have an inventory list, so you will need to visit in-person to see if a specific item is in stock. Thousands of items come in and out of the warehouse each week, so remember: if you see something you like today, act fast because it may be gone tomorrow!

 

We are located at 4671 Tanglewood Drive in Edmonston, MD (just outside NE DC in the Hyattsville area) .

Our warehouse is open Monday 10-6, Tuesday 10-6, Wednesday 10-7, Thursday 10-6, Friday 10-6, Saturday 9-6, and Sunday 9-6  

(If you are making a donation or picking up a bulky item, you must arrive at least 30 minutes before closing time.)  

 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR VISIT

• Dress very warmly– due to the concrete floor and walls, it is often colder inside our warehouse than it is outside! This means hats, gloves, long johns, heavy coats, etc. You may get dusty while hunting for treasure, so don’t dress your best! Shirts & shoes required.
• This is a working warehouse. Keep a close watch on your children so that they do not dive off a loading dock or tip something heavy onto their siblings. Unattended children may be eaten by Purple Polka-dotted Trash Monsters.
• Friendly, well-behaved pets are welcome, and may attract head pats and belly rubs. They must be on a leash at all times.
• Bring your specific measurements and a tape measure. Bring a sample if you are trying to match a specific color or style—remember, there are no returns on most items!
• If you are making a donation, or picking up a large bulky item, you must arrive at least a half hour before closing time. Although our checkout desk closes at 6pm (and 7pm on Wednesdays), our courtyard and loading bays close at 5:30 pm (6:30pm on Wednesdays). We are strict about this policy for safety reasons.  It also ensures that all Forklift Fans will have enough time to load or unload their vehicle and exit the courtyard by closing time.
• Ask staff for help if you find something you will need a ladder to reach–otherwise it is a self-serve warehouse. You are welcome to use the shopping carts, dollies, hand trucks, and flat carts.
• People who switch or remove price tags are indeed shoplifters. Shoplifters will be prosecuted, banned from the store, or held upside-down over an old toilet. Likewise, folks who remove “Sold” stickers are mean people, and they will get what’s coming to them someday.
• We put a lot of time and research into setting prices, so we discourage haggling. However, if you feel there is a possible price error, please inquire at the checkout, and you will be asked to wait patiently until a manager can investigate. If you still remain unhappy with the price, you are encouraged to keep an eye on our Facebook or Twitter feeds, where we announce frequent flash sales.
• We do not accept American Express. We do accept cash, checks, Visa, Master Card, and Discover.

 

STORE POLICIES

RETURN POLICY: All sales are final, so please inspect items carefully before you check out! We are very happy to open sealed boxes for you at the front desk so that you may look at the item before you purchase it.

The only exception to this rule is for appliances, radiators, and designated machines (these items come with a 14-day return policy if they don’t work when you install them. You must bring your receipt and the item back to the store to receive your refund). Also, reconditioned appliances from our consignment partner may come with a longer warranty – please ask a Reuse Associate for details.

LOADING INTO YOUR VEHICLE: Please bring an appropriate vehicle and friends to help you get your materials home safely.  Community Forklift staffers and volunteers are not able to help load items into your vehicle. However, once you have purchased your item(s), we do offer one week of free storage. This will give you time to round up strong friends or hire folks to help you move, to borrow or rent a truck, etc.

 

 

Mistletoe Market Artist Profiles: gorgeous mosaics from Art Vortex

From now through December 31st, we have a ton of fantastic artisans offering handmade and eco-friendly gifts in the Mistletoe Market at Community Forklift. If you need something unusual and amazing for a special person on your list, check out these gorgeous mosaics from Fairfax-based Artist Valeria Birch of Art Vortex!

Mistletoe Market Artist Profiles: Handmade Habitat’s all-natural candles are perfect for last-minute presents!!!

From now through December 31st, we have a ton of fantastic artisans offering handmade and eco-friendly gifts in the Mistletoe Market at Community Forklift. If you have a few last presents to pick up, don’t fear!  You don’t have to fight the crowds at the big box stores, just stop by the ‘Lift to pick up some lovely candles from Takoma Park-based artisan Amina Ahmad of Handmade Habitat.

Mistletoe Market Artist Profiles: great greeting cards from Elf Art Designs

From now through December 31st, we have a ton of fantastic artisans offering handmade and eco-friendly gifts in the Mistletoe Market at Community Forklift.  If you still need to pick up some cards to go with those gifts, don’t worry – you don’t need to fight the crowds at the big box stores.  Just stop by the Forklift and pick up some adorable and quirky greeting cards from Washington, DC based Artisan Erika Florez of Elf Art Designs.  Her packs of general cards are also great presents for folks who love to write hand-written notes, and the larger prints are perfect for the animal-lovers on your list!

Mistletoe Market Artist Profiles: Figs & Honey Bath, Body and Spirit

From now through December 31st, we have a ton of fantastic artisans offering handmade and eco-friendly gifts in the Mistletoe Market at Community Forklift. Check out Gaithersburg- based Robert Williams and Jennifer Ighani of Figs and Honey Bath, Body and Spirit:  their gift baskets are perfect for someone who is hard to shop for!

Holiday Hours

Hello Forklift Fans!  Wondering about our holiday hours?  

Below is our schedule for the next few weeks:

Dec. 23:  10am – 6pm

Dec. 24th:  10am – 3pm (we’re closing a few hours early)

Dec. 25th:  Closed

Dec. 26th:  10am – 6pm

Dec. 27th:  9am – 6pm

Dec. 28th:  9am – 6pm

Dec. 29th:  10am – 6pm

Dec. 30th:  10am – 6pm

Dec 31st:  10am – 5pm (we’re closing a few hours early)

Jan. 1st:  Closed

Jan. 2nd:  We’re back to our regular schedule!    

Our regular schedule is Monday 10-6, Tuesday 10-6, Wednesday 10-7, Thursday 10-6, Friday 10-6, Saturday 9-6, and Sunday 9-6.

(Please remember, if you are making a donation or picking up a bulky item, you must arrive at least 30 minutes before closing time.)