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The New Now? 2021 Year in Review

Writer: Barbara K.Barbara K.

Our mission is to build a city-wide creative reuse economy that provides materials, generates ideas and fosters creativity and community for educators, artists, arts and nonprofit organizations in Chicago.




2021 was our second year operating at the Envision Unlimited Frick Center in Auburn-Gresham. Despite the uncertainties of COVID, remote teaching, and a host of other factors, CCRx grew in many ways!


  • Redistributed surplus to over 500 Chicago teachers + nonprofits, 400 volunteers and 300 material donors.

  • Made 5,000 Creative Reuse Kits for teens and families with the Chicago Public Library and the Museum of Contemporary Art

  • Brainstormed Make Masks Fun Again and other classroom projects with the CTU Arts Committee and Jamie Yang;

  • Sold CCRx Recyclo-Products + Kits at Buddy at the Chicago Cultural Center and several holiday markets

  • Launched Community Repair Days with the Chicago Tool Library and Community Glue Workshop;

  • Reimagined surplus at Creative Days for the Chicago Safe and Peaceful Communities

  • Held a Teachers’ Back2School Rx-travaganza with the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation

  • Donation Drives with Bank of America, Custom Ink, and Mana Contemporary's Earth Day Celebration

  • Helping Hands The Honeycomb Project, Volunteering Untapped, National Louis University, Clark Construction, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Public Library, the Rex Foundation, and Getaround augmented the work of our individual volunteers

  • Special thanks go to Volunteers Steve Bild, Leslie Travis and Arianna Banerjee.

  • Learning + Growing with CPS and Project Vision student interns, Northwestern University Students Consulting with Nonprofits club, and the Tech Team at the University of Chicago.

  • Raised almost $10,000 through our second annual FUNdraising Auction, featuring a fantastic array of art and experiences from many generous and creative donors...

  • Provided materials, support and instruction to Envision Unlimited members on a variety of creative reuse projects.

And much more. Welcome to the New Now!!

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"Trash is just a failure of imagination"

CPS Vendor #19517

EIN #47-4679301

Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange is a one-of-a-kind store dedicated to the reduction of material waste and the creative reuse of resources. We are a resource to Chicago teachers, artists, and nonprofits looking to find new life in surplus materials, supplies, and equipment. Our mission is to promote sustainability and help the community by providing access to resources that would otherwise be discarded. We offer a wide range of items and our goal is to help you find the perfect item for your project. Come check us out and discover the possibilities!

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