GOOD JUNK
is a creative community in
SE Portland, Oregon
on the west coast of the United States
is a creative community in
SE Portland, Oregon
on the west coast of the United States
We are home to Reborn Church of Craft,
a secular, weekly maker/mender/fixer meet-up
and Good Junk Sanctuary, our creative reuse center...
supporting makers and those who want to become makers,
starting where we are, with what we have.
a secular, weekly maker/mender/fixer meet-up
and Good Junk Sanctuary, our creative reuse center...
supporting makers and those who want to become makers,
starting where we are, with what we have.
Hello wonderful creative community. No material or human being is "just junk". All materials and humans have potential, value and beauty. Let me give you a little back story on why we're here and what we're doing.
First, me... I'm Eileen (@e_mcgarvey on Instagram) and I have always been a maker and a collector of "junk". I love and appreciate all materials; I love art; and I love the creative process and its power to transform. I am nourished by helping others, (especially people who don't believe in their own innate, imaginal power), discover, or rediscover, this in themselves.
I believe creativity and community are essential to our most healthy inner part of ourselves and to sustained happiness. They will be the key to holding on to our resilience and power in an increasingly isolating, throw-away world. We can save the planet and each other.
Creative community can be hard to come by, especially if we don't have a lot of time and money to spare or if our ability to socialize has become impaired. We may have told ourselves (or been told by others) that we are not creative, don't need it or can't do it. We may have convinced ourselves we are not really creative, or not creative anymore. We may tell ourselves we need more tools, materials, knowledge, etc... to be able to do what we want. Maybe we think we are "too" introverted, neurodivergent, unskilled, _______ (feel free to fill in the blank with any word your inner naysayer provides you with).
Learn... or relearn...
how to do what you can,
where you are,
with what you have
and do it with others who support you.
This vision of creative community can be realized, with your help, starting in our SE Portland neighborhood and growing outward. We are always open to all people, sharing our spaces, knowledge, materials and tools as communal makers and fixers; creative beings without regard to categories like class, race, gender, age and anything else that divides us.
We can help each other, teach each other and provide for each other in a way that raises us all up together. This is my vision and I hope it will become yours.
What is already in place?
Reborn Church of Craft has been going strong since 2022 (with a branch in Brazil and one soon to open in Seattle, Washington) We currently meet every Sunday between 1 and 4 pm in the large Community Room donated by Dick's Primal Kitchen, 4905 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR.
Everyone is welcome, you can work on what you want, socialize or not and come when you want and stay for as long as you want. At the end of the month, free workshops are held with materials donated through our sister organization, Good Junk Sanctuary (space is limited so you must RSVP in advance and plan to stay the entire time). For up-to-the-minute announcements, join us on FB at Reborn Church of Craft.
Reborn Church of Craft has been going strong since 2022 (with a branch in Brazil and one soon to open in Seattle, Washington) We currently meet every Sunday between 1 and 4 pm in the large Community Room donated by Dick's Primal Kitchen, 4905 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR.
Everyone is welcome, you can work on what you want, socialize or not and come when you want and stay for as long as you want. At the end of the month, free workshops are held with materials donated through our sister organization, Good Junk Sanctuary (space is limited so you must RSVP in advance and plan to stay the entire time). For up-to-the-minute announcements, join us on FB at Reborn Church of Craft.
Good Junk Sanctuary started in 2023 and was named to honor my love for what others consider "junk". When I was a kid I would go to the dump with my dad and bring home treasures. I trawled the alleyways behind houses and was an early adopter of dumpster diving. When my mom would see me coming through the door with my latest finds, she would say "Honey, why do you have that, its just junk" to which I would always reply "Yeah, but it's good junk"!
We are currently focused on creating our book and tool lending library until we have a brick and mortar location (that is not my residence!) to house our materials. When we obtain our 501c3 non-profit status we will look for a dedicated space where we can host a reuse store with affordable materials, shared tools and a shared maker space. In the meantime, we continue to work with Buy Nothing, local teachers and pop-up opportunities to get materials in the hands of those who can use them. We are also starting an Etsy shop which will feature our curated collage packets
We are currently focused on creating our book and tool lending library until we have a brick and mortar location (that is not my residence!) to house our materials. When we obtain our 501c3 non-profit status we will look for a dedicated space where we can host a reuse store with affordable materials, shared tools and a shared maker space. In the meantime, we continue to work with Buy Nothing, local teachers and pop-up opportunities to get materials in the hands of those who can use them. We are also starting an Etsy shop which will feature our curated collage packets