Systems Change is a Team Sport

Oct 1

2 min read

One thing I usually love about being a social entrepreneur is that every day is different. I get thrown a TON (literally) of different problems, and each one requires a creative solution.

One of our most recent challenges? Getting our “new-to-us” warehouse in working order.

And BOY, have I been on a steep learning curve.

Over the past few months, I’ve learned about mold remediation, asbestos, city inspections, demolition, vandalism, building repairs, and so much more than I ever expected to know about commercial buildings.

But thankfully, I’m not doing it alone. I have an incredible team of employees, volunteers, mentors, board members, community members, and partners who have helped make this possible.

Notably, Allison Cousins and her team at City League, whom we are proud to have subleasing and sharing the space with us, have been an incredible part of this process. Having other organizations working alongside us in the building has made this feel like so much more than a warehouse. It’s becoming a hub for community, collaboration, circularity, and impact.

Don and James Jacobsmeyer, who own the building, have also been incredibly generous in helping us fix it up and allowing us to use the space. Their business partner, Fred Schmidt, has been instrumental in this work as well. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity, flexibility, and willingness to invest in what we are building here.

And watching this building transform has been a beautiful thing. Painful at times? Absolutely.

But incredibly rewarding.

We’ve been able to see immediate impact as people have stepped in to repair, clean, organize, build, haul, paint, sort, and problem-solve. What could have cost tens of thousands of dollars in outside labor and improvements has instead been accomplished through in-kind support, donated materials, and countless volunteer hours.

That is what community looks like. It’s people bringing what they have- time, skills, resources, connections, and a willingness to get their hands dirty — and using it to build something bigger than any one person could create alone.

And we’re not finished yet.

We invite you to join us for our next Volunteer Warehouse Work Day this Sunday, October 4, from 8:30 AM–1:00 PM.

Come help us continue transforming this space and building the infrastructure needed to create a circular economy for sports gear so every kid can play.

Because systems change is a team sport.

Join the team. Sign up below!