We need your support to bring our next space to life

As you may know, The WasteShed’s partner organization at our Evanston location, the Evanston Rebuilding Exchange, closed abruptly in October 2025.

We’ve done our best to stick it out in the space, and we made it through the winter largely due to the tenacity and resourcefulness of our phenomenal Evanston crew: Emily, Avery, Hannah, Cam, and Frank.

Meanwhile, almost everything that made our Hartrey location work when Rebuilding Exchange shared it with us has become a liability in their absence. We've been scouring the north side for a suitable new space all year, casting an ever-wider net, and are working hard to nail down a solution that meets our needs at a price we can afford.

We will find a new place by this summer, but no matter where we end up, it will be a big leap into the unknown for us, and we need your support to make this transition possible!

In 2025 alone, The WasteShed Evanston:

• Kept over 55,000 lbs of creative and educational materials out of landfill. These materials are worth an estimated $660,000 to the community, annually.

• Provided an average of $1,600 worth of free materials to teachers every month through our Free to Teachers section

• Served 18,000 people from the greater Chicago area and beyond with low-cost or free creative resources

• Employed 5 staff and 2 interns

• Offered dozens of low-cost or free creative events and workshops for the community

  Our goals for the new space include:
  

• More space for community programs

• Better transit access for our Chicago Northside friends

• Better climate control for our climate-impacted times! 🌬️

  We have exciting opportunities, fun plans, and enormous challenges ahead of us in 2026. With your help, we’re raising $30,000 by April 30th to make the move.

  Donate today and you’ll be the first to know where we go!

  The WasteShed is 70% self-supporting through sales, and we depend on grants and donations from our friends for that last 30%.

  Even a small amount can make a big difference for our ability to serve the community, so make a tax-deductible donation today!