Tool Libraries: Borrow and Save

At Portland’s community-run libraries, you can borrow tools for your home, yard, and garden – from drills and saws to lawnmowers and weed whackers. Whether it’s a minor repair or a major project, they’ve got tools for carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and more.  

How it works  

1. Find your nearest tool library 

• East Portland 

• North Portland  

• Northeast Portland 

• Southeast Portland  

• Green Lents 

• Southwest Portland  (Opens late May 2024)

2. Sign up to become a member 

Go to your nearest tool library’s website and look for a “become a member” section. Many tool libraries ask you to fill out a membership form on their website and then bring an ID and some proof of address (like a bill) to the tool library to confirm you live in the neighborhood to finalize your membership.  

Everyone is welcome to join, whether you live in a house or apartment, rent or own. 

3. Find out when they’re open 

Most tool libraries are open on Saturdays from morning through early afternoon. Some are also open during an evening or two during the week.  

Tip: Check tool availability before you go 

Check your tool library’s website to see if they have the tools you need and if they’re in stock when you need them. If the tools are checked out, you can see when they’re due back.

Save money and space 

You can save money by borrowing tools for free instead of buying them. Just make sure to return them on time to avoid late fees. Some tool libraries ask for a suggested donation when you join, but no one will be turned away for a lack of funds.  

Plus, borrowing tools will avoid cluttering your closet, basement, or garage with tools you only use once a year.   

“Everyone who comes in here says it’s amazing. People can’t believe we have everything they need.” - Thomas C., NE Portland Tool Library volunteer 

Meet your neighbors and get advice 

Tool libraries are a great place to get advice from neighbors on which tools will work best, how to avoid common mistakes, and which local shops offer the project supplies you need. Plus, some tool libraries offer workshops on repair and remodeling.  

Save energy and natural resources 

For every tool that doesn’t have to be purchased new, you’ve saved the energy and natural resources needed to manufacture it, as well as the carbon emissions from extracting raw materials, turning them into new products, and transporting them to the stores where you buy them. 

A 2015 study showed that one year’s worth of North Portland Tool Library’s tool loans was the carbon emissions equivalent of taking thirty-five cars off the road for a full year. 

Keep tool libraries thriving: Volunteer and donate 

Portland’s tool libraries are completely volunteer-run and they’re always looking for more volunteers.  

You don’t need to be a tool expert to volunteer. The most important job at the tool library is welcoming neighbors and checking tools in and out.  

Other ways to volunteer include fundraising, repairing damaged tools, taking photos of tools, managing the tool library’s newsletters or social media, or serving on volunteer boards. 

“I love volunteering here, and so do the other volunteers.” - Thomas C., NE Portland Tool Library volunteer 

Monetary donations go a long way for tool libraries. They allow them to purchase and maintain tools, promote the library to the community, find and train volunteers, and more. Jason Naumann of the Green Lents Tool Library board says that funding is critical for “pushing forward our shared objective of waste reduction.”  

New Beginnings Market: A new way to support community through donation and reuse

This past fall, IRCO, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, opened the New Beginnings Market in northeast Portland. The Market, located in a large warehouse space, is a no-cost shop offering used and new furniture, clothing, and household items to immigrants and refugees, plus those coming out of homelessness, and domestic or gang violence.

New Beginnings Market allows individuals to choose the items they need as they build a new life in a new place. This “shop-our-store” format has long been used by another local nonprofit, Community Warehouse, and gives individuals a greater sense of choice in how they set up their new homes.

Megumi Harn, IRCO’s In-Kind Fundraising Lead, shared that since the New Beginnings Market opened in October 2022, they’ve served 2,215 clients, with a total value of household items offered at over $135,000.

The Market is a new program from a long-standing Oregon nonprofit

IRCO has deep roots in Portland and throughout Oregon. IRCO Fundraising Manager, Nami Bigos, shared that there are over 100 programs, including 19 food pantries, that serve 20,000-30,000 people a year.

After 45 years of providing refugee employment services, IRCO recently became a refugee resettlement provider under the United States Commission of Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), a national volunteer agency. In the past year, they have welcomed over 250 new arrivals from Afghanistan and Iraq. With the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis in February 2022, over 2,000 Ukrainian humanitarian parolees arrived in the Portland-Vancouver area also needing resettlement help, with limited support from traditional resources.  

New Beginnings Market is one of their newest programs and was created to provide a one-stop shop for basic needs. Navigating support services can be hard for anyone, and even harder for immigrants and refugees who are learning a new language and culture. IRCO aims to make the Market shopping experience easy for clients: The Market is located on a TriMet bus line and IRCO will deliver large furniture directly to clients. 

New Beginnings Market allows IRCO to collect and distribute donated goods more efficiently: They no longer must move donations to and from storage units. The space also allows IRCO to collect more items, display them in a more customer-friendly way, and provide clients with a better shopping experience. 

The need for donations is great

Not only are people’s needs greater since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but resources are slimmer. Also, with the startup of the refugee resettlement program in 2021, placing families in completely outfitted homes has become a core part of IRCO’s service delivery.

In addition to collecting donated goods from Portland community members, the Market receives donations from businesses and corporations including Columbia Sportswear, Nike, Rejuvenation and BedMart. IRCO also relies on volunteer groups and individual volunteers to help organize and run the Market.

How you can support New Beginnings Market

While the Market is not a retail space, or open to the public, a variety of new and gently used donations are welcome!

The most needed items are:

• Diapers

• Laundry detergent

• Mattresses

• Couches

• Dressers

Other items needed include:

• Kitchen, housewares, and décor 

• Beauty and personal care products 

• Cleaning supplies 

• Baby and school supplies 

• Linens and clothing 

See the full list of items IRCO needs. This list is regularly updated, and things may be added or removed from the list based on client needs and current inventory.

For gently used donations, IRCO wants clean and functional pieces, with no stains, tears, or pet hair. The Market Team will check for pest infestation.

Before you donate, contact the New Beginnings Market to describe the items you would like to donate: Donations@IRCO.org or 971-271-6461. Emailing photos of your items helps staff determine which items would best meet their clients’ needs. Once you’ve heard from IRCO staff about which items they can use, you can drop them off Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Market staff will provide the drop-off address.

For larger items, like couches or dressers, IRCO may be able to pick them up from your home for a suggested donation to cover transportation and gas costs. 

To learn more about the New Beginnings Market, how to donate new or gently used goods, or to volunteer, contact Nami and Megumi at Donations@IRCO.org or call 971-271-6461. Monetary and Amazon Wish List donations are also welcome.

Portland’s circular economy: A needs assessment

What does Portland’s circular economy need to survive and thrive? 

In 2021, reuse, repair, and share organizations were invited to participate in a needs assessment project as part of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) sustainable consumption and production work. This process included interviews, small group discussions, and surveys asking leading reuse organizations in Portland to evaluate the needs and current state of Portland’s circular economy.   

Top needs 

Five areas of support were raised by reuse organizations throughout the discussions and survey responses:  

1. Space, location, and storage 

2. Equity, diversity, and inclusion; accessibility; and climate justice  

3. Communications and marketing 

4. Capacity building and staffing support 

5. Funding and grants 

Next steps 

Seven reuse, repair, and share organizations have formed a group – the Reuse Collective – and are meeting regularly to address the needs raised in the assessment. 

To address the need of affordable spaces in convenient locations, BPS is exploring the creation of shared reuse, repair, and share spaces throughout Portland. These spaces would act as community hubs, offering more borrowing and sharing opportunities within neighborhoods. One current place is the Leaven Community in Northeast Portland. This is where many community organizations have space, including the Northeast Portland Tool Library and Kitchen Commons, and could be a model for future hubs.

BPS is also committed to continuing to use Resourceful PDX to share and promote community resources and events, elevate the upstream conversation of thoughtful consumption, and invest in community-led opportunities to rent, share, fix, and reuse goods.  

Read the full report 

2021 Needs Assessment of Portland-based Reuse, Repair, and Share organizations: 

• Download PDF file Executive Summary (947.74 Kb) 

• Download PDF file Overview (1028.08 Kb) 

Learn more about sustainable consumption and production through local circular economy case studies.  

Have an idea about ways to create a more circular economy in Portland, or support an existing reuse effort? Contact Resourceful PDX to share your ideas. 

Celebrate the holidays with low-waste and locally made gifts

Looking for ideas to simplify the holidays? Check out the Center for Biological Diversity’s guides, gifts ideas, and more.

Find holiday tree alternatives and easy entertaining ideas and use their SoKind Registry tool to give and receive gifts. The Gift Guides include ideas to:

• Release your creative spirit with DIY/Handmade Gifts

• Increase happiness and well-being with Experiential Gifts

• Get back more time in the day with Quality Time/Skill Sharing Gifts

• Help others in need with Donation and Support Gifts

• Discover Earth-friendly treats with Food Gifts

In addition to saving time and money, these gifts and celebration ideas reduce waste. This is especially important considering a 2021 analysis showings that Americans generate 23% more tons of waste in December than in other months of the year.

Remember to shop small, shop local

Support Portland makers and DIYers who are selling their wares at various markets and pop up shops throughout the month, including My People's Market, presented by Prosper Portland, and the Mercatus Holiday Gift Guide, featuring local businesses owned by people of color. 

Portland’s neighborhood businesses also offer plenty of gifts for your holiday shopping. Check out Venture Portland's list, with local retailers ready to welcome you. 

Discover more alternative holiday gift ideas and tips to shift to buying used and new-to-you.

Want to share your own holiday tips? The Center for Biological Diversity is looking for holiday tips from you. Share your advice or ideas on how you #SimplifyTheHolidays.

Find free stuff around town

It’s been quite a year. Many of us found ways to offer our time and resources to help each other. And with in-person gatherings making a comeback this summer, there are more opportunities to make community connections.  

Mutual aid societies and online groups have prospered in Portland, offering free food, clothing, and other items to community members affected by various setbacks – from unemployment and disability to a health crisis or senior needs. These resources are available to those who need them, be it every day, once a week or once a month. 

In addition to pop-ups at parks or in parking lots, you can find free or low-cost options at the Resourceful PDX map and event calendar. However, since events and locations can change, it’s always best to double-check the organizing group’s social media accounts to confirm before heading out.  

Take what you need, leave what you don't, give what you can 

PDX Free Fridge lists free food in fridges and pantries across Portland. It is a community based and informed mutual aid effort to increase access to free food and vital supplies. Their mission is to redistribute existing resources by providing access to free food and supplies through community fridges and pantries. They offer community guidelines, FAQ’s, a guide to start your own efforts, and a map to download. 

The Really Really Free Market is a park pop-up where you can bring items you don’t need or want, and you can take what catches your eye.  

Places like the Paying it Forward Store offer free clothing on an ongoing basis. There are even plant and seed swaps for those interested in bringing nature to their gardens or homes.    

Give through organized efforts (Don’t leave things on the curb) 

If you’ve walked by a rain-soaked couch or a pile of mismatched shoes and old DVDs spilling into the street, you’ve seen how “free piles” can turn into litter. 

Instead, offer free items on Nextdoor, Buy Nothing Group, Freecycle or Craigslist where people are looking for items and will come to you to pick them up. Nextdoor and Buy Nothing Group allow you to share posts just with people living in your neighborhood, acting as a virtual yard sale and helping you get to know others who live nearby. You might even make some new friends, or find a baby sitter or someone to water your plants when you’re out of town! 

Learn something new with at-home workshops

Combining the winter season and time indoors, many Portland organizations are offering ways to stay connected by hosting online workshops. There are classes for just about anything; from plant care and cooking to virtual repair and home maintenance.

Here are a variety of at-home offerings for you to make online learning a goal for the year ahead.

Attend Fix-It Fair 24/7 

Fix-It Fairs connect Portlanders with experts – and each other – to learn simple, low or no-cost ways to save money and be healthy all year long.

Getting bored with the same meals? Learn how to cook with different winter vegetables to mix it up. Tired of the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet? There are experts to show you how to fix it yourself.  Sign-up for these and other workshops running now through April. 

Watch past workshops on the Fix-It Fair YouTube Channel  or visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall anytime! The Community Resource Guide continues to expand and improve to share tools and information on everything from health and wellness, to repair and home care, and cooking and gardening.  

Share a skill with Alder Commons

Alder Commons is a community hub where kids and adults can attend workshops and classes and spend their time freely. Members are coworkers, makers, and learners of all ages.  

There are currently offerings every month at Alder Commons, including a full week of workshops the last week of each month. Workshop Week programs are open to all ages, voluntary, mostly free, and offer everything from DIY and maker classes to gaming, writing and discussion options. 

Do you have a skill to share? Alder Commons is looking for additional workshop hosts if you have something you’d be willing to share with the community. 

Learn from each other at Kitchen Commons

Kitchen Commons is on a mission to foster community kitchens and leaders that bring people together to share food, resources and relationships. They are starting the year with a monthly series of food justice workshops, free and online.  

The goal of the workshop series is to engage, educate, and empower diverse participants to improve as community organizers and facilitators. Together, you will:

• Learn and share new recipes.

• Meet people from other cultures residing in our community and provide an opportunity to connect on a personal level in the kitchen and at the dining table through facilitated conversations.

• Grow as organizers and community leaders through new technical and communication skills.

Kitchen Commons also acts as a resource for Northeast Portland residents, hosting the Kitchen Share, Community Kitchens and more ways to connect with local food organizations.

Spring cleaning while at home

Being at home has allowed for time to chip away at the task list, which inevitably includes spring cleaning. We’re living in a different world now so taking a thoughtful approach to ridding yourself and your home of unwanted items needs to be handled differently too.

Declutter your space

It may be your whole house, your apartment, your garage, or just your closet. Take stock of your stuff – from small appliances, kitchen utensils, clothes, or old electronics – and separate the usable stuff from what you no longer need or want.

Put the stuff you don’t want in a box for now, but take some time to research ways to sell, donate, or recycle them once places reopen.  So many of our things can have another life, but some items are indeed trash and should be thrown away.

Donate thoughtfully

As with much of our favorite places like restaurants, theaters and pubs, donation centers are closed to the public. In Portland, many reuse organizations are seeking financial support while their doors are closed and specifying what to save for donation when it is safe to offer them. Some have even come up with ideas for residents to help - or shop - in other ways.

These items will be of value to area nonprofits once the pandemic ends. So instead of sending them to the landfill, consider locating a clean, dry space to store these in your home, attic, or garage.

Local resources adapt with the times

Community Warehouse asks that supporters create a donation pile of gently used items for future drop off or sponsor at Home 2 Go Kit now.

Beginning May 11, you can drop off the following items at the Portland Warehouse between 10 AM - 4 PM on weekdays only:

• kitchen tables

• kitchen chairs

• dishware (plates, bowls, cups, and silverware - no china or metal-rimmed dishware)

• cookware (pots, pans, cooking utensils)

• small appliances (microwaves, toasters, coffee makers)

• sofas (no sleeper sofas, sectionals, or recliners)

• armchairs

Free Geek provides refurbished laptops and technology support to students and others, plus encourages donations and online shopping to support their ongoing work. There are some services available for the public to be aware of during this time.

Habitat ReStore now has an online store for residents to buy used goods anytime. Beginning May 9, their Portland store reopens for shopping; between 10 AM – 6 PM, Thursday through Monday only.

The ReBuilding Center is offering appointments to come and shop for building and home supplies so you can work on projects. They have limited hours for donating materials; between 11 AM – 4 PM, Wednesday through Saturday only.

SCRAP Creative Reuse now has an online store for shoppers to buy used and new materials. 

Buy Nothing Project members post anything they’d like to give away, lend or share for free. It is neighborhood-and-Facebook based, focused on items to borrow or acquire from neighbors. That includes things you may be finding as you declutter and clean up for spring!

Building community through cooperation at Oasis of Change

Do you want to save time and money by having your needs met all in one place? Oasis of Change is such a place! A place where you can build community in ways that encompass natural health, therapeutic play, cooking classes, entertainment and more.

Co-founder, Dov Judd, shared that “Oasis of Change is a way to show families that there’s a different way to live, and that you can do these things in your own home too. We’ll help show you the way.”

Engage in activities that stimulate the mind, body and soul

Dov asked himself, “How do you permit a dream?” Oasis of Change is that dream, which began in April 2019 in North Portland with activities driven by the community and its members. There is a team of decision-makers, however its members help create models to keep it sustainable and progressive.

Membership allows people to utilize the space and classes by becoming members. There are different membership levels, some of which include volunteer hours to give back to the community.

Member highlights include:

• Farm-to-Table vegan dining 

• Cooking classes

• Adult and children's activities

• Weekly meal prep

• Health classes for all ages

• A Maker Space for arts and crafts

• Affordable childcare

• Co-working spaces for lifestyle medicine doctors and mental health groups

• Massage

• Live music and evening entertainment

• Fun fitness classes

• Farm and garden tours

A focus on food is a big part of the community. There are two kitchen spaces (one of which is allergy-free) in the old house that has become the heart of the Oasis of Change community. Dov explained that the food that is prepared and shared is vegan and vegetarian because they don’t want to use ingredients over $2 a pound. This excludes dairy, meat and nuts. Because it is a teaching atmosphere, cooking classes and eating meals together allows families to test recipes and come up with meal plans that save money. He has booked different local chefs to help share cooking tips with members.

There are various providers at Oasis of Change offering group-based models, not private sessions, to empower people and to meet others who may be experiencing similar things.

Dov is a practicing play therapist. He values relationship building and care for all. “We can’t pick or choose when we care.” He wants to provide every child with an opportunity to explore and enjoy the world around them. He meets kids where they are, and includes his dog, Ziza, a pediatric service dog, as part of his practice.

A recent edition of the e-news included a plethora of happenings! There is already a writer’s workshop, yoga and meditation and upcoming parenting classes and tutoring opportunities. Dov said the outside area, which includes a large garden, could hold up to 200 people for live music, markets, parties and more events.

Are you ready to come together in community to make a healthy lifestyle accessible, affordable and fun? If so, take a closer look at Oasis of Change.

Pictured: Dov with Ziza at Oasis of Change.

Top resourceful trends over the last decade

Resourceful PDX has existed in its current format for the last six years. In that time, there has been a lot of information shared, questions answered and resources that have come and gone.

The top posts from Ideas and Tips followed trends with similar themes: share, repair and DIY.

Sharing stuff for free

Portland residents are interested in sharing items they no longer need or want – and getting things for free through swapping and reusing.

The most popular post and how many people find out about Resourceful PDX is through Rooster. Rooster is a community of neighbors who share resources at no cost. It’s about borrowing things you need—and making rewarding connections in the community. 

Other community resources that offer free options include:

PDX Free Store is like a rummage sale except everything is free - clothes, housewares, music, toys and games. Bring clean, working items to donate, and take items you need.

Swap Positive offers clothing and accessory swaps around the Portland region, plus offer annual spring and holiday events.

Freecycle is a grassroots movement committed to a sharing economy and helping people give and gain cool free stuff. It promotes reuse and keeping usable items out of landfills.

Buy Nothing Project members post anything you’d like to give away, lend or share. It is neighborhood- and Facebook-based, focused on items you’d like to borrow or acquire, at no cost, from neighbors.

The repair movement is strong

Free repair events, open to the public, took off with Repair PDX in 2013. Now events take place all over the Portland region every month, where people bring broken items to be fixed. Items like small appliances, bikes and clothing are repaired by volunteers who give their time and talents to help anyone keep their items in use longer. Some bring in items that are nostalgic, others for economic or environmental reasons.

Repair PDX by the numbers:

·         Helped 2,665 people

·         Sharpened 404 tools and knives

·         Looked at 1,629 small appliances

·         Sewed 1,212 items

·         Worked on 219 bikes

Portland Repair Finder includes a variety of ways to fix and maintain existing goods, including shoes. The post ‘With a little TLC, your shoes will love you back’, continues to be one of the most popular.

In the next decade, we may be digging into the Right to Repair. State legislation for owners to be able to repair their own things – from electronics to farming equipment – is taking off in other states and Oregon is among them.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY)

From forging your own knife to learning to make a cutting board, creating, making and learning to DIY is widely popular.

The ReBuilding Center Open Shop is filling a gap in the community maker space since options have come and gone over the years. Become a member to use tools and equipment or take one of many classes they offer.

Or grab your friends and book time at the DIY Bar in North Portland.

As a reminder, there is always the Resourceful PDX map, available to show residents where to find all the community resources to continue to reuse, repair, donate, lend and swap.

Contact us in the new year to share ideas, resources or questions.

Donate at the holidays or anytime

The winter weather and holiday season may provide thoughts of cozy, indoor activities, but for many people in the community, it is also a time when warm clothing and more resources are needed. You can help provide an extra hand or gently used goods to those in need this season.

Portland has many resources and opportunities to give back. And while local service and nonprofit organizations need assistance, they don’t need items that have to be sorted which takes more volunteer or staff time. Help these groups be efficient by doing the legwork ahead of time.

A main resource in Portland is 211info, which is informed of donation and volunteer needs for community organizations working in Multnomah County Joint Office on Homeless Services.

As they list online, “outreach providers need winter gear they can pass out now, so folks outside are ready for the cold, and to have in reserve during an emergency. Having the right gear staged in the right places before a crisis will help providers better focus on direct services and life-saving efforts in the moment.”

Other local resources:

• Red Tricycle has a recent post about where to donate children’s items in Portland. 

• Oregon Live listed resources for clothing donations after Netflix launched the Marie Kondo tidying up show.

• The Resourceful PDX map has a Donation Center section where community and nonprofit resources are listed.