Turning Excess Into Impact
April 22, 2024
This year, our Seattle team spearheaded a first-of-its-kind Insidesource Garage Sale. Over six weeks of planning, the team gathered excess product from our Kent warehouse, preparing it for sale or donation.
As a result, we diverted almost 300 pieces of furniture from the landfill, and 175 of them found new homes with local nonprofits. A team effort of ingenuity and community outreach, the garage sale was a great example of how we put our values into action.
Inspiration came from a need to clean out and repurpose items that had accumulated in the warehouse, including products sent in error, extras from completed projects, and other miscellaneous items.
Various items to be donated and repurposed
Along with our partner Bettersource, our Seattle team has been trailblazing our reuse and donation efforts in recent years, working regularly with nonprofits to rehome unused furniture or product from decommissioned and upgraded offices.
Youth mentoring organization Big Brothers Big Sisters took 75 pieces to help set up their new building, while over 100 pieces of seating and storage found new homes through Habitat for Humanity’s stores.
Clients, employees, and members of our local A&D community stopped by to say hello and peruse the offerings. We saw office and home office upgrades, including a GC firm that received a collection of new HAT desks, and a few industry friends who were able to enhance their remote working nooks with contract-grade furniture.
Warehouse inventory, including chairs to be re-homed with Guide Property Services
Repurposed cabinet and chairs seen in Guide Property Services office
“The furniture from the garage sale has been a great addition to our office,” says Halle Lynn, Office Manager from Guide Property Services. “The bench now serves as seating in our entry. The cabinets fit perfectly in the smaller offices. The orange chairs are my personal favorite and add a great pop of color!”
A new home office set up for Jerica Sifuentes
Jerica Sifuentes from JPC Architects was able to upgrade her home office with a new desk. “Hubs is loving having a height-adjustable desk, he’s never had one before. It’s great that we can share the space in our home office efficiently.”
The positive impact was felt by all involved. The event not only benefitted the environment and cleaned up our warehouse, but fostered new connections, highlighting the positive ripple effects of proactive thinking and community engagement.
The Kent warehouse, before and after the sale
