Bowdoinham Gift Shop volunteers Lisa Wesel (left) and Karen Mayo fold clothes in March 2022. C. Thacher Carter / The Times Record file photo
Bowdoinham’s Recycling Barn Gift Shop, a reuse program run by volunteers, will be upgraded using a $15,000 grant from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
“We have been hoping to improve the space for the volunteers who sort the donations as well as for the shoppers who come in,” said gift shop volunteer Karen Mayo in a press release. “We work to make the space welcoming and present things in their best light. We are proud to reuse and repurpose so much, rather than send it through the waste stream.”
Recycling Barn owner David Berry said the DEP grants were awarded to businesses contributing to the prevention of excess waste. In his grant proposal, he estimated the gift shop had diverted more than a ton of reusable clothing and household materials and one ton of building supplies and furniture so far.
Although the Recycling Barn was no longer in operation, Berry said “enthusiastic” volunteers wanted to keep the gift shop going, and in turn, he donated a 1,600-square-foot structure located behind the barn for them to use. He said the structure was functional but really needed insulating so it could remain open year-round. Berry said the $15,000 will be dedicated to material costs since the labor will be done by a team of community volunteers.
The gift shop works as a “free yard sale,” giving locals a place to shop for household appliances, furniture, clothing and more at zero cost, Berry said. Materials that are not snatched up at the gift shop are then donated to organizations that assist the homeless and children in foster care, he said.
Prior to 2020, Berry ran Bowdoinham’s recycling program in his barn located at 243 Post Road until the local fire marshal recommended safety upgrades be made to the structure. While Berry spent the next two years adhering to those changes, the town moved its recycling program to Public Works. Town officials are currently weighing the pros and cons of returning operations to the barn.
Berry said the gift shop is a true community effort since residents are not only donating items but their bottle returns, so volunteers can redeem them for cash and pay for the shop’s electricity and annual snow plowing and sanding services.
Gift shop volunteer Lisa Wesel said she was “thrilled” by the news of the grant.
“It’s a real testament to the state’s faith in David Berry’s operation and the volunteer’s dedication to reducing waste and helping people who need it most,” she said.
The Bowdoinham Gift Shop is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday.
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