Corporate and individual volunteers across Richmond have always had a drive and a passion to do community work. Unfortunately at one time, they were forced into putting resources into purchasing the tools and equipment needed to fulfill these projects that were near and dear to their hearts. Things like cleaning the canal walk and planting community gardens become more daunting when having to consider what tools and equipment were necessary. Finding funding to cover those purchases was challenging if not potentially a hindrance to the project and vision itself and at the end of these projects, even finding storage to house those purchases was difficult. In many cases, the tools were not going to be used again for months,  if ever. And potential resources were going into an expenditure for materials that might only be used once. We were in an environment of spending thousands of dollars for what essentially became disposable tools. 

The lack of readily available resources to fulfill these initiatives created a hindrance for sustainable volunteerism, for folks that truly felt passionate about helping their community. That is really where the Richmond ToolBank came in to fill the gap. We provide the physical tools, take the financial burden off these initiatives, help the volunteers figure out what tools and equipment they will need for their specific project and solve the issue of what to do with those tools when they are done with each single project. We also know this allows our members to think about doing future initiatives, which is a clear win for our community. 

Want to get involved?

Listen in to Executive Director Toby Vernon with the Richmond ToolBank to learn more. Check out Building Change, Hammers & Ales, and come by and see our available rent space for your business or organization. Sponsors and volunteers are always welcome!!

Cheers!