Partner Spotlight: Heritage Timber
If you’ve driven on Johnson Street recently, you may have wondered: what is happening to the building? Our partners at Heritage Timber have been working onsite for just over a month, and have great news to share about the materials of the building. Says owner Becky Douglas, “We’ll be able to save at least 90% of the material, to keep it from going to the landfill.”
The company specializes in deconstructing buildings, keeping in mind that every location means something to the people who used it in its previous iterations. They meticulously sort through every material used in a building, making sure that where it goes next is the most sustainable option.
At the Johnson Street Emergency Shelter location, that meant taking the time to think through the leftover items that the Poverello staff hadn’t had the capacity to move before the shelter closed. There were bags of unclaimed clothes, which went to local thrift stores, refrigerators from our kitchen space, which went up the street to Donation Warehouse, and office chairs, which went to Soft Landing Missoula and Burns Street Community Space. During the deconstruction process, they separate anything that can be reused for resale or donation, as well as all items that can be composted or recycled. Every detail is considered and taken seriously.
Becky says that taking the time to ensure the materials find their next purpose is two-fold. Firstly, it’s good for the environment. Not only does reusing metal and wood reduce waste, it also stems the need for more manufacturing. Secondly, she wants to honor the people who used the items and space. “The people who stayed here, the staff who worked here, poured their energy into this place,” and she says that leaving the objects in the landfill would be disrespectful to that memory.
Thank you, Becky and Heritage Timber, for the care you are providing to a space that meant so much to our neighbors! We are grateful that the project is in your hands.