Greetings!
As we embark on our 20th year of serving Baltimore and beyond, we'd be amiss not to pause to reflect on what was unarguably one of the most challenging years yet - 2020. What a year!
Despite calamity and uncertainty, it's a year that affirmed we are an "essential business," and one that re-affirmed that our relationships are equally essential. We learned how to pivot operations at a previously unthinkable pace, only to discover that our organization and its supporters are even more resilient and resourceful than we ever imagined. We know it's not all over, but we feel as if we are once again in a position of strength as we face 2021.
And that's a good thing, because our mission is as critical as ever! With your support, we were able to continue to deconstruct houses that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. Those salvaged materials joined tons (literally!) of donated items in our retail warehouse on their journey to being reused and reloved. Even with pandemic restrictions and a reduction in store operating hours, retail flourished.
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All of that translates to assisting those most in need in our community. We've been inspired as we watch our associates take advantage of their second chance, overcome their employment barriers, and flourish personally and professionally. As we vigilantly explore strategic ways to Reclaim, Retrain and Renew in 2021, we'll ultimately be doing it for the good of these people and others we will bring into our job training programs.
When you support Second Chance by shopping, donating, choosing deconstruction, volunteering, following, and recommending us, you nurture the advancement of a community of folks who are determined to improve their lives and those they touch. So my team and I want to express our deep appreciation for all of your generosity again this year. With 2020 in the rearview mirror, you're propelling us into our third decade of service with great momentum!
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Mark S. Foster
Founder & President
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On the Storefront - Retail |
While our workforce is trained in several fields, retail is the one for which we are best known. With a 250,000 sq ft facility in the heart of downtown Baltimore, dozens of motivated employees invested in enhancing operations, and one of the most impressive collections of salvaged inventory around, it'd be hard for our showrooms not to be noticed!
Clearly, the cashiers and salespeople are the most visible employees in our store. But those wearing the black t-shirts are unsung heroes who provide much of the unseen muscle power. Despite the pandemic pressure to scale back store openings to four days a week, these guys continued to grind it out.
Along with the other interconnected teams, they helped us rack up an incredible 36,803 sales transactions. That was nearly even with the historic levels of 2019, but - get this - our sales actually rose 16.5%! We're grateful for your continued support so we could continue to support our employees and trainees.
The graphic below represents some of the enormous amounts of inventory that moved through the store last year. All of it was touched in some way by the industrious "men in black"!
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"Special thanks to MJ & Anthony for loading large white stone for the Balusters. Without their help we would not have been able to sell 25 balusters and 15 large stone bases, because the customer wouldn't purchase unless he could take part of his order today. If you see them, please give them a thank you." -Tony, SC Sales Associate |
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In the Field - Deconstruction |
While the world was scrambling to navigate during a rare global pandemic, we experienced a rare lull in new home deconstruction interest. But as stay-at-home-orders caused people to increasingly contemplate their housing options, the second half of the year went on a tear. The volume was enough that we're happy to report systematically dismantling our 2,500th building in 2020!
That's good news for the environment. Coming in at more than twice the amount of regular trash, the EPA reports that the U.S. generated over 500 million tons of debris from demolition in 2017 alone! Every year Second Chance takes a bite out of that, with upwards of 800,000 tons of material diverted in our 19 years of deconstructing homes and other buildings slated for demolition!
In addition to the enormous waste stream diversion, our donors receive handsome tax benefits, our workers gain invaluable vocational experience, and the public gets unique and reduced cost materials. What's not to love?
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Builders serve a strategic role in championing our services to potential home donors. For example, Lisa & Steve Appler are the principals of Cairn Custom Homes, a two-time winner of the Maryland Building Industry Association's MAX Awards for Outstanding Homes. Learn why they love to include Second Chance in every tear down project they can.
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Getting the Goods - Donations |
With so many of us essentially on "home confinement" in 2020, we got to do a lot of thinking about our homes and the stuff in them. Folks weren't bashful about upgrading their decor to make their home a more beautiful and functional space. The result? Our Donations & Acquisitions team remained very busy!
You might have spotted one of our 8 trucks making pickups from as far north as Connecticut to as far south as Florida. There were over 1,500 in all, spanning 231 different zip codes! (Marylanders remain our most consistent donors.) That was a whopping 25% increase over the previous year!
With pickups of items like 138 complete kitchen sets, we were able to divert some 20 million pounds of material from the waste stream and make them available for reuse--that's not even counting material we salvaged from deconstructing homes or that people have dropped off at the store! Feel free to email us to see if we can pick up your gently used items (tax receipt provided).
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Rolling Up Sleeves - Volunteers |
Volunteers have always played a critical role in advancing our mission. In addition to the obvious benefits of their labor of love, they inject a contagious atmosphere of energy and encouragement.
After an unprecedented year that saw over 2,100 individuals invest an astounding 5,263 hours of service, COVID-19 derailed what was shaping up to be another robust year. We actually canceled far more groups than we hosted!
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Still, with vigilant coronavirus protocols in place, we were fortunate to have 186 volunteers bless us with 744 hours of service! We're grateful for that 18.6 weeks of volunteer service (based on a 40-hour workweek) and are looking forward to returning to pre-pandemic conditions as soon as feasible.
In the meantime, feel free to contact us to discuss socially-distanced volunteer opportunities for you or your group. We can hardly wait to serve together!
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Behind the scenes, we're always striving to support as many fellow nonprofits and community organizations as possible. We continued the best we could to live out our core value of being a community resource center in 2020. (Check out the mission of Valor Village, a new relationship we nurtured this year through multiple donations.)
Meanwhile, the COVID19 calamity prompted us to look after the welfare of our own core community even more intentionally. If you didn't know, the SC family currently numbers close to 170 people. Many support their own families and neighborhoods. Maintaining their work hours, even amidst the shortened store hours, has been a key objective that we're pleased to report we've met!
We bolstered our associates further by providing enhanced safety training and implementing strict virus protection protocols. On the most tangible level, we started an internal food pantry that's been gratefully embraced. Thanks to those who've contributed... every act of kindness helps! (P.S. The toilet paper didn't last long :-)
On occasion, we are fortunate to go the extra mile for individual associates. If you've been to the store much over the past 13 years, you're sure to recognize Antonio's smiling face. He has risen through our ranks and become a powerful mentor to many others. Watch some of his inspirational story here or here.
When the opportunity presented itself to partner in the purchase of a family home for the Johnson's, we were eager to make that happen. Listen to Antonio's response:
"I understand what it means to be homeless and to lack a fit place for a family. This has made my family appreciate this opportunity even more. Without Second Chance it would not have been possible. My family and I just want to say thank you for your passion and willingness to help others and see others accomplish their goals. We really appreciate all the help you have given us. Making it possible for me to own my own home makes me understand that Second Chance is truly an amazing organization. Thank you."
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It encourages us to see our efforts exposed to a broader audience, and Second Chance was humbled to be included in a diverse array of press again in 2020. From the airwaves to the e-waves, it was as if entities near and far were embracing us during the tumultuous times.
Of note, those bringing attention to our cause included the Baltimore Fishbowl, WJZ-TV, the Baltimore Sun, 98 Rock (FM 97.9), Fox 45, WPOC (FM 93.1), WMAR, the Washington Post, Baltimore Magazine, CBS Sunday Morning Show, and Builder Magazine. We are grateful for the support!
One phenomenal story that literally reached around the world has come to be known affectionately as, "The Fellowship of the Fish Chair." If you missed it, you'll want to enjoy this inspirational journey here. It's incredible to see meaningful “second chances” take so many beautiful, unexpected forms!
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Check out the latest on this amazing labor of love that’s been years in the making. Springing from the vision of our CEO – Mark Foster – the original house was deconstructed (and the new one even partly constructed) with Second Chance Manpower, using Second Chance Materials, and uniquely representing the Second Chance Mission!
This green-themed “Concept House" will serve as a venue to further understand our nonprofit. You may even get the chance to tour it and hear one of our program participants share their story someday!
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Click here to provide a tax-deductible gift via credit card, bank account or PayPal. Click here to contribute cash, stocks, vehicles, etc., and here to donate re-sellable items to support our mission.
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