Community Green Cross

C o m m u n i t y . B e n e f i t s . T h r o u g h . R e c y c l i n g

What We Do
Green Cross is a non-profit Idaho corporation founded by Karen Thurston in 2005, located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  Our mission is to provide funding for qualified educational, social, and religious programs.

We raise funds primarily through donation and recycling of used textiles, including clothing, shoes, accessories, and books. The textiles are reused in thrift stores, such as Division Thrift Store in Spokane, Washington, or  exported to foreign countries for retail sale, or used for raw materials in other products such as wiping rags, carpet pad, or insulation. We sell to a variety of buyers in several diverse markets and are always looking for new markets for used textiles.

Look for the Greener Tees(tm) brand of recycled t-shirts for custom screen printing for your team, business, special event, or uniform needs. Greener Tees are created from used t-shirts that are sanitized, and screen printed for a next-to-new, vintage, or distressed look in a large variety of styles and colors. Contact Karen Thurston at 208-660-1359 to order. Prices are much lower than new t-shirts and Greener Tees are even kinder to the environment than 100% recycled or organic t-shirts.
Used clothing, event t-shirts, upcycled fashions, and bookshelves with shelves supported by used books...just a few of the products created from items saved from the trash heap by Green Cross...
Click on an image below for a detailed description of each product.
Image: 

Do We Compete With Thrift Stores in northern Idaho?
No, we do not.  In addition to collecting textiles at Kootenai County Idaho transfer station bins, we recycle unusable or surplus items from north Idaho thrift stores and sell them to textile brokers that sell to exporters or to thrift store operators in southern Idaho or in other states.

In general, textile recycling industry statistics show that only about 15% of used clothing is currently recycled through thrift store charities.  The other 85% is wasted. Community Green Cross provides a means for consolidating textile materials for sale to third parties, allowing thrift store charities to reserve their valuable store space for retail operations.

Donations
Green Cross donates all of its profits to local thrift store charities and other non-profit organizations.  Since beginning to make donations in 2006, Green Cross has donated more than $35,000 combined to the groups below:

    • Anchor House/Idaho Youth Ranch (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Audubon Society (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Beta Pi Honor Society (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Blue Wolf Community Club (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Boy Scout Troop (Post Falls ID)
    • Children International, USA
    • Clark Fork High School (Clark Fork, ID)
    • Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Coeur d’Alene Homes Auxiliary (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • North Idaho Violence Prevention Center (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Cougar Hilanders 4H Club (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Earth Day Coeur d'Alene (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Gonzaga Preparatory High School (Spokane, WA)
    • Holy Family Catholic School (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Hospice of North Idaho (Hayden, ID)
    • Idaho Youth Ranch (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Kootenai Humane Society (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Lake City High School Football Team Boosters (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Love, In the Name of Christ (Love, Inc. of Bonner County, ID)
    • Mullan High School (Mullan, ID)
    • North Idaho Christian School (Hayden, ID)
    • Panhandle Animal Shelter (Sandpoint, ID)
    • Priest River Animal Rescue (Priest River, ID)
    • Real Life Ministries (Post Falls, ID)
    • Sagle Senior Center (Sagle, ID)
    • School Indigo (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • St. Pius X Catholic Church Outreach Program (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • TESH Thrift Store (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
    • Wallace High School (Wallace, ID)
    • Winton Elementary School (Coeur d'Alene, ID)

Affiliates
Several local companies contribute to our success.

B&D Development, our landlord, provides reasonable rent at our warehouse location at 3640 Cedarblom St. in Coeur d'Alene. 

The Cutting Edge Sharpening Service is on site daily, Tuesday through Friday between 8:00am and 4:00pm, for deliveries.

WASKIA Partners, LLC markets and sells the surplus items we collect, at diVision Thrift Store (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Division-Thrift-Store/158257917576625) and to various wholesale brokers. The Book-Bookshelf(tm) is a product of WASKIA furniture division.  Contact Karen Thurston at 208-660-1359 for information.



Our Brochure
See our brochure for more detailed information about the program.


Photo of Karen Thurston, Founder
Karen Thurston, Founder
Document
Click to open Green Cross Brochure
What More Can You Do?
Don't forget to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle whenever you can.  If you can't always reduce, then reusing something is almost as good.  Green Cross encourages everyone to think about repairing or refurbishing items instead of discarding them. Patronize your local service and repair businesses whenever possible, and encourage your family and friends to do the same.  You'll be helping the environment and a local business at the same time.

Here are some resources to locate local service and repair businesses in your local area:

The Sharpeners Network (tool sharpening and related products and services)

Contact:

P.O. Box 3232
Coeur d'Alene, ID  83816

Karen Thurston 208-660-1359

Info@GreenCross.us
©2005 - 2012 Community Green Cross, Inc.

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