Friday, August 13, 2010

The Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center: A Great Idea for Central OK!

Located in Ada, Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center, wholly owned by the Chickasaw Nation, is operated by the tribe’s Department of Environmental Services. Start-up funds for the center were provided by a grant from the Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA). The partnership of funding between the Chickasaw Nation and the EPA’s grant has managed to fully support the operation of the center. As a result, there is no charge for any of the services pro-vided by the ReUse Center; it’s free and open to anyone to drop off or pick up any item that the center accepts for reuse. Since opening, business has been brisk – up to 75 customers visit each day the center is open. And while the Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center has had a measurable impact on the environment – the center’s staff has accepted more than 32,500 lbs. of reusable material and redistrib-uted more than 29,000 lbs. since opening–the impact the center has made as a much-needed community resource was unexpected.

The ReUse Center now regularly sees families in need who have been referred to the center by various local social service programs and churches. The demand for items, especially for children’s clothes, furniture and basic kitchen/household goods, often exceeds the supply of items available. The Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center has also initiated a number of community outreach efforts during its first year of operation. They hosted an appliance and television recycling drive to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

The Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and every other Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The center accepts reusable furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, household and kitchen items, paint, cleaning products and building materials. For more information, call (580) 272-5451 or visit the Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center at 2205 N. Broadway in Ada.


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