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Holiday Hours
Our store hours are:
Wed 12-7
Thurs, Fri, & Sat 9-5,
and Sun 12-5
During the the holidays, the only exceptions will be:
Dec. 24: Open 9-3
Dec. 25: Closed
Jan. 1: Closed
Visit our HUGE warehouse at:
4671 Tanglewood Drive
Hyattsville, MD 20781
store: 301-985-5180
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Rooting a green business in Prince George's County:
Community Forklift's
Capital Campaign
to buy our building!
By Jim Schulman, CEO
Many of our customers and supporters are not aware that Community Forklift rents our warehouse...or that
our lease ends in early 2010.
With that date fast approaching, Community Forklift has been negotiating with the landlord to buy the building. This would make it possible for the Forklift to stay in our community, allow us to make physical improvements, and ensure long-term financial sustainability for our operation.
The good news is that Community Forklift is eligible for a loan from the Small Business Administration, grants from the State of Maryland, and private financing. However, all of these potential donors & lenders require Community Forklift to contribute significant equity - otherwise known as "money up front."
That's where we turn to you, Forklift Fans! We need you to dig deep into your checkbooks, pockets, and hearts, to contribute to our campaign to build up enough equity to allow the purchase to proceed.
We have very little time - we need to raise $250,000 by March 31st.
As with most young businesses, especially non-profits, this is far more money, after expenses, than we generate from our sales.
But we believe that you recognize the value of what Community Forklift does, and understand that in life, "what goes around, comes around."
With your help, we can continue to:
* Make repairs more affordable for low-income folks, homeowners, & small businesses in the DC area;
* assist hundreds of nonprofits and community groups;
* keep good building materials out of the landfill; and
* create good green jobs for local residents
If you want Community Forklift to remain in the area, lifting up our local community, I urge you to contribute what you can.
* Checks can be written to "Sustainable Community Initiatives" or SCI with "CF building campaign" in the memo line. You may mail or deliver your tax deductible check to Community Forklift at 4671 Tanglewood Drive, Edmonston, MD 20781.
* To donate cash, drop it in the Capital Campaign Box near our checkout (If you want a tax deduction letter, just show your donation to a Reuse Associate)
* And if you can't afford to give money at this time, we still appreciate your building material donations, your gifts of volunteer time, and, of course, the purchases you make every day.
Thank you, and happy holidays!
P. S. Please remember that donations received by 12/31/09 are tax deductible in the 2009 tax year.
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Bake Sale!
Each weekend until Christmas,
our volunteer Michelle C. is whipping up sweet treats for you to enjoy while you shop on Saturdays and Sundays. Her brownies, fudge, and cakes are amazing and inexpensive.
Her boxed treats make
great holiday & hostess gifts,
and she's taking orders if you want a bunch!
Bake Sale proceeds support Community Forklift's work to lift up local communities.
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Okay, maybe this Twitter thing isn't so annoying after all.
Twitter finally has a purpose!
To find out about cool and unusual donations arriving at Community Forklift, go to:
We'll also tweet (twit?) home improvement tips, reuse ideas, and information about events.
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December Sales:
20% off ALL Doors!
ALL doors will be 20% off the marked price (Sale does not apply to doors without price tags)
25% off selected Furniture
Take 25% off the marked price on all furniture marked with a neon green sale sticker (Sale does not apply to furniture without a sale sticker)
 25% off RadiatorsTake 25% off the marked price on all cast iron radiators (Sale does not apply to radiators without price tags).
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Just two more weeks of our
Green Gift Fair
Find unique gifts and support a good cause! Keep reading for more details.
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Local crafters & artisans have donated pieces to be sold in our gift corral, across from the register. Proceeds will help us continue to make repairs affordable, create green jobs, and keep good materials out of the landfill.
To give you examples of what you'll find...we've got this cool mosaic table, a beautiful glass pendant from www.EdBurck.com and this Redskins sign built from reclaimed trim by Mark Z Signs
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Volunteers have decorated our tree with ornaments made from surplus or reclaimed hardware, and all are for sale. They'll make
great stocking stuffers
for Do-It-Yourselfers!
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Guest Artisans on Saturdays
From 11am - 5pm, this Saturday and next,
artisans will visit the warehouse to exhibit work made from reclaimed or recycled materials. Don't miss this chance to find truly unique gifts!
Dec. 12
Rox Produx: I bet you didn't know that our floor manager is also a stone artist! It's hard to believe that Keith's beautiful clocks, bookends, and ornaments were once broken curbstones, discarded tile, & scraps of granite counters.
 Platewerkz: What began as an idea during a Hyattsville home remodeling has developed into one-of-a-kind handcrafted designs on metal light switch and outlet plates. Daryll Harris  uses contrasting colors, assorted applications and finishes that create outstanding abstract geometric colors enhancing surfaces and areas formerly ignored in decorating schemes.
Catalpa Creek Studio: Brooks Boliek is a regular Forklift volunteer. He is a writer and artisan who grew up in Alabama, and now lives in Silver Spring with his wife Jeri, a painter. Brooks jokes, "No trees were harmed in the making of my furniture" and he feels that every board has a story to tell. Together, Brooks and Jeri create furniture, boxes, signs, and picture frames out of wood found on local streets, farms, and right here at Community Forklift.
Dec 19
 Kim S. Joy: Kim Steinmuller Joy was raised in upstate New York and now lives in Springfield, VA. She has been a stained glass artist and teacher since 1982, and her works are in private and public collections worldwide. 
She will display pottery shard pendants, stained glass, and jewelry made from buttons pulled from old clothes.
Artsy Fartsy Jewelry: Susi DuPuis makes these innovative jewelry designs from recycled plastic containers found in common household products (like these Barcode Earrings!). Each disk is hand cut, then poked with an awl, and threaded disk-by-disk onto a wire to fashion a striking piece of green couture, recycled, wearable ART! It's Green Bling!
We also expect more additions to the fair on the 19th, including:
Handknitted Scarves,
Dave's Leatherwork, and Julie Seiwell Photography
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Give a gift with character!
Many items in our Salvage Arts department make great presents, including:
Old ironware,
Vintage signs & labels,
Stained glass,
Bottles & tins,
Classic kitchenware,
Architectural decor,
Collectible tools and hardware,
Antique toys,
Hand-thrown stoneware
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Wish you could lower your energy bills?
On Wed, December 16th, homeowners and community groups throughout DC will open up their homes to host
WeatherizeDC
Home Energy Meetings
to help you learn more about the process of weatherization.
For more info, check out www.WeatherizeDC.org
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Do you need help sticking to your holiday budget?
In our last newsletter, we told you about the free
guide, with tips to help you spend less money, and have a happier holiday season.
Well, here's something else you've gotta check out! It's a fantastic cartoon called
The Story of Stuff. It has truly changed the way I look at the world (and it is THE reason I finally had the willpower to pay off my credit cards). It's also a great way to teach kids why they don't "need" the latest plastic junk.
So, warm up some cocoa, relax, and take 20 minutes to
It is so worth it!
--Ruthie, Outreach Director
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