ITHACA, N.Y. — Finger Lakes ReUse — an Ithaca nonprofit that promotes the reuse of materials while providing job training and employment opportunities — formally opened its ReUse Caboose & Training Center in mid-December.

The ReUse Caboose — located at 700 W. Buffalo St., on the north side of the building in Greenstar’s former “The Space”— is ReUse’s newest retail location, now open daily. The entrance is at the intersection of Fulton Street/Route 13S at Court Street, just over the railroad tracks.

Finger Lakes ReUse says it is working to provide pandemic relief in the form of affordable and free access to materials, living-wage jobs, job training, and career-building opportunities. 

The ReUse Caboose is part of a pilot ReUse Warehouse and Training Center offering combined virtual and hands-on instruction for job-skills training, in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension and led by Dr. Aloja Airewele. 

“Through this expansion, Finger Lakes ReUse is creating critical, paid job training opportunities for local people in need at a time when city residents need additional support and access to affordable goods,” City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick said in a news release from Finger Lakes ReUse.

Finger Lakes ReUse signed the temporary lease in August, in order to provide “much-needed space for materials and immediate paid job-training opportunities amid the COVID-19 crisis. This pilot Training Center program is financially supported by Tompkins County, Park Foundation, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Triad Foundation, Legacy Foundation of Tompkins County, and an anonymous donor.

With this training center, ReUse will be able to provide opportunities for skill-building and developing career pathways for employment in fields like green energy. Employment and training experiences at ReUse locations, including the pilot ReUse Warehouse & Training Center, are geared toward creating customized, supportive spaces for each individual who enters the ReSET job training program. Finger Lakes ReUse is partnering with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Energy Warriors program led by Dr. Aloja Airewele, enhancing ReUse’s current ReSET Job Training program with modules such as “Raising Your Personal Value” and “Mental Toughness Bootcamp.”

The ReUse Caboose is now open daily, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. A wide variety of local reused materials are available there at affordable prices, including building materials, clothing, textiles, media, household items, and lighting with new items added daily. Purchases support Finger Lakes ReUse’s waste-diversion efforts as well as its job training and community-support programs.