'We have a fantastic crew': Female-led Savannah nonprofit breaking barriers, salvaging the past
Men make up around 90% of the construction industry, but the non-profit, Re:Purpose Savannah, is made up almost entirely of women.
Men make up around 90% of the construction industry, but the non-profit, Re:Purpose Savannah, is made up almost entirely of women.
Men make up around 90% of the construction industry, but the non-profit, Re:Purpose Savannah, is made up almost entirely of women.
March is International Women's History Month. In honor of that, WJCL 22 News spoke to a Savannah nonprofit, run by women, that is helping the environment.
Re:Purpose Savannah works to salvage materials from old homes that would have otherwise been demolished.
"Construction and demolition are the single biggest contributors to American landfills over any other single industry," said Re:Purpose Savannah's Executive Director, Mae Bowley. "They're estimating that on a global scale, construction and demolition are responsible for a third of the world's waste. So it is urgent that we do something to stop it. We're going to run out of space."
Bowley said her nonprofit deconstructs buildings, rather than letting them be bulldozed.
"We'll come in with crowbars and we'll take it apart carefully. We will only throw away what can't be reused, which is a pretty small percentage, actually," Bowley said. "A lot of these materials are really spectacular."
Re:Purpose brings the salvaged materials to their warehouse on E. Gwinnett Street and fixes them up before selling them.
"I mean, when you buy something here from Re:Purpose Savannah, it's a conversation piece for sure," Bowley said.
On top of getting a conservation piece, Bowley said people are getting more durable pieces.
"I ask people all the time when they're here to hold a piece of our old growth longleaf pine and think about how similar or different it is from a piece of pine that you'd get at Home Depot. They're just, they don't look the same. They don't weigh the same. They don't smell the same or feel the same. Old growth material is incredibly durable and beautiful in a way that modern materials just can't compete with," she said.
Bowley said beyond helping the environment and preserving Hostess City History, one of their top goals at Re:Purpose is to get more women into the construction industry. It's a field that's made up mostly of men.
"We really quickly realized that there is a need for specific training programs to help advantage women and other outside groups to enter this really, really rewarding industry," she said.
They're even getting some national recognition for their efforts.
"I am excited to tell you that we are just about complete in launching a registered apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor and the Federal Government to formalize that training program so that we can really bring this into the future," Bowley said.
Katie Fitzhugh has worked at Re:Purpose for almost four years now. She said it's nice working around other women.
"We have a fantastic crew," Fitzhugh said. "The culture is without a doubt one of the best aspects of working at Re:Purpose."
You can help Re:Purpose Savannah with their work by making a donation.
The non-profit will be holding a fundraising event next month, Moonlight on the Marsh, on April 6. You can purchase tickets here.