ToolBank USA Welcomes Back a Familiar Face…
Please help us WELCOME BACK, Matt Walenciak, to the ToolBank USA team! Matt is our new Director of Replication and Sustainability for the ToolBank Network. He’s spent the last five years as the Executive Director of our Atlanta ToolBank, and before that, he headed up the efforts to launch our ToolBank Disaster Services program at ToolBank USA. We’re all thrilled to have you stay in our network, Matt, and we know that with your experience, you will do a fantastic job for ToolBank USA!
It’s incredible to see how our team has grown over the past 3 years. Check out Our Team Bios…and most importantly, everyone’s favorite tool!
ToolBank Disaster Services Update
Our trailer of tools has arrived in Grand Isle, LA at the end of July. Volunteers from the Cajun Commissary will utilize our tools and equipment to repair homes and renovate the Community Church of Grand Isle’s recreation center. So much of this community was impacted by Hurricane Ida in 2021. It’s great to see that the long-term recovery efforts are still going strong and that our tools are helping so many get the job done!
We’re getting very close to having an update on a number of new ToolBank Disaster Services Hubs. Our team hopes to be moving into our space in Sacramento and we have a new trailer in both Chicago and in Denver. Can’t wait to keep everyone updated with our new locations! Finally, as Hurricane Idalia approaches the Gulf Coast of Flordia, be thinking about what can be done to aid your preparedness for these types of weather event and those in the future. Check out our 10 Tips below.
Check out what’s going on at each of our ToolBanks across the nation. Scroll down to each affiliate and expand the text block to read more about your favorite ToolBank team. All of our affiliates are doing amazing work and we can’t wait to share their updates with you monthly.
Make sure and scroll through the images to the right of our affiliate updates. Most of the updates come with a couple of images related to their article.
Atlanta ToolBank Update:
The Atlanta ToolBank is gearing up for their Par-Tee Golf Outing on Tuesday, September 12 at The Manor Golf & Country Club. If you are in the Atlanta area or looking for an excuse to plan a golf trip…this is the outing for you! For more information about Par-Tee, visit: https://www.atlantatoolbank.org/events/golf
While they are golf outing planning, the Atlanta team hosted a couple of events during July that included a one-day Tool Rush Sale and a CRAFTERhours class at Wild Heaven Beer. So many smiling facing during the build project as well as at the ToolBank for a day of shopping!
Baltimore ToolBank Update:
The Baltimore Community ToolBank transforms intention into action. They listen to partners and look for creative ways to serve while always being careful not to disrupt their core service of tool lending.
As a case example, a business friend of the ToolBank, Baltimore Gas & Electric, recently reached out in Baltimore to see if the ToolBank could receive shaving kits as a donation. Even though the ToolBank does not work directly with populations in need of shaving kits, they serve those who do. So, they said yes! Volunteers from Emergent BioSolutions helped sort the kits and within one week, 150 kits were re-donated to the Baltimore Station to serve incoming residents. The Baltimore Station is a residential treatment program supporting veterans transitioning through the cycle of poverty, addiction, and homelessness to self sufficiency.
The Baltimore ToolBank was needed for temporary storage, some creative networking and outreach. Done, done, and done! These are part of what a ToolBank has as service assets. When activated, we go deeper in service in meaningful ways.
Charlotte ToolBank Update:
The Charlotte ToolBank celebrated 10-years of supporting LOVE Week with Elevation Church during July. This event is one of the largest volunteer projects that any of our ToolBanks see throughout the year. The numbers for the Charlotte ToolBank’s support for this single event are staggering. Over the past 10-years, the ToolBank has loaned 29,609 tools and special event equipment, fulfilled 878 tool orders, and equipped 80,856 volunteers! Those are incredible numbers and we can only imagine the break your team needs after LOVE Week each year!
Cincinnati ToolBank Update:
July is a huge month for the Cincinnati ToolBank. Not only are they in the midst of a major renovation of their second floor, but they are also a key component to one of the largest volunteer days in the city, The Cincinnati Reds Community Makeover. The ToolBank’s staff equipped over 500 volunteers on Thursday, July 27th at four different sites in Madisonville. This neighborhood is near and dear to Cincinnati’s Executive Director, Kat Pepmeyer, because is where she calls home.
The four primary locations in Madisonville included:
- John P. Parker Elementary School: Projects include a nature playscape and outdoor classroom, STEM Lab with solar panels (made possible by GE Aerospace), pollinator garden and renovated nurse’s room. 2,500 perennials, 200 yards of topsoil and 100 tons of gravel are just some of the materials that went into the building.
- Madisonville Education & Assistance Center: Renovations to MEAC’s community meeting space, meeting rooms for clients, upgraded staff offices and volunteer food drive with Freestore Foodbank.
- Bramble Park: Work includes a renovated baseball/softball field, Little Duck Creek Trail improvements and flood lights for security.
- Shroder High School: Projects include outdoor learning and gathering space. Artist Brent Billingsley lead a mural project as well.
There was a ton of media surrounding this event and Kat was one of the top local personnel to provide insight into the community as well as how the ToolBank aids in these large scale volunteer projects. Below are some of the links to the news coverage.
WLWT – NBC 5 – Community Makeover Day Live
WLWT – NBC 5 – Community Makeover Day at MEAC
WCPO – ABC 9 – Community Makeover Day at John P. Parker
WKRC – CBS 12 – Community Makeover Day featuring Kat Pepmeyer
WXIX – FOX 19 – Community Makeover Day featuring Kat Pepmeyer
Houston ToolBank Update:
The Houston ToolBank has a number of events coming up in the next few months including their Axes & Aces Charity Poker Tournament in September and their Tool Trot Step-A-Thon in October. All of this event planning hasn’t stopped this crew from highlighting one of their member agencies, Recipe for Success Foundation.
When asked how partnering with the Houston ToolBank helps their organization do more in the community Recipe for Success Foundation said, “Through the Houston ToolBank we are able to rent tools at an extremely affordable price that we would not otherwise have on hand.”
With the help of ToolBank tools and equipment they were able to replenish their fruit tree orchards, which were devastated by the early 2021 freeze. The ToolBank provided wheelbarrows, loppers, and other tools to ensure no volunteer was empty-handed!
If you’re in the Houston area…mark your calendars!
On September 21st, the Houston ToolBank will be hosting its first Axes & Aces Charity Poker Tournament! Your ticket includes entry into the tournament, food, adult beverages and loads of fun with friends of the ToolBank. There will be a ton of great prizes and a chance to rebuy-in.
Phoenix ToolBank Update:
The Phoenix ToolBank has been working hard to help keep their member organizations and community cool during this record-breaking summer! Maricopa County, where the Phoenix ToolBank is located, was issued a State of Emergency due to excessive heat by the governor in July. Arizona has set a record for the hottest month (July) along with the most consecutive days over 100 degrees. But this hasn’t stopped the local Phoenix ToolBank from continuing to send out orders as well as grow our Heat Re-Leaf program. In July, they loaned out 18 portable AC units for emergency support to vulnerable community members that experienced a broken unit and were waiting for repairs / replacement units through our partners. This included an elderly woman who was living by herself and had been without air conditioning in the middle of July for a week at the time of contacting the City of Phoenix (one of their many partners in this program). These units were distributed oftentimes within the hour of getting the call from partner organizations, allowing immediate relief to residence in need.
In all, even with every day in July over 100 degrees, the Phoenix ToolBank loaned out 739 tools during the month. This past fall and spring they will be loaning out shovels and other planting supplies to partner organizations planting trees to reduce temperatures in high heat areas. Making their approach to high heat both a response and prevention year around through their Heat Re-Leaf program. Heat isn’t going away for Phoenix, so they will continue to grow their resources to support their members on the front lines of this fight. If you would like to support the Phoenix ToolBank’s heat relief program you can make a donation here: https://www.phoenixtoolbank.org/donate/donate-funds/.
Richmond ToolBank
Witness the rewards of hard work! Every picnic table, park bench, dog house, and lending library built during a Richmond ToolBank 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 project goes directly to benefit the Richmond Community. Yaupon Place Eco-Camp found the perfect use for our picnic tables, as they provided ample space for learning about animals and conserving their habitats. With the ToolBank logo gracing these green spaces, our impact becomes tangible. Just a few hours of building outdoor furniture translates into years of enjoyment for the community! Ready to experience the joy of 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲? Click the link below for details and fill out the form to kickstart the process. https://www.richmondtoolbank.org/our-impact
Windy City ToolBank
The Windy City ToolBank is asking for your support as they continue to stock our shelves with tools and equipment that our members need the most! ToolBanks across our network have helped support events for The National At-Home Dad Network and now Windy City need our help with equipment for their #HomeDadCon in Milwaukee.
Organizations can buy a projector for roughly $500 or they can borrow one from the ToolBank for only $20 for an entire week!
