The Creative Reuse Center RI (CRC) is turning the old adage “one person’s trash is another’s treasure” into a community movement. The CRC opened in the fall of 2022 as a nonprofit on a mission to save reusable materials from the landfill and provide them at affordable prices to promote learning, discovery, and creative expression. Now, to keep pace with the influx of donations and growing demand for affordable creative and educational supplies, the CRC plans to move from East Providence to a larger space at 50 Sims Avenue in Providence mid-June.
“At the Creative Reuse Center, we are responding to the twin challenges of excessive waste and affordability of creative and educational supplies,” says Sherri Griffin, operations director for the CRC. “By taking items bound for the waste stream, sorting and tidying them, we show their inherent value. We undertake this with the assistance of dozens of volunteers and a committed staff and board.”
Elizabeth Ochs, director and founder of the CRC, never set out to run a creative reuse center. With her extensive background in after-school education, she had always been inspired by Resources Recycling for RI Education (RRIE), which had been providing access to affordable creative materials for local educators and artists for around 30 years. When RRIE closed down during the pandemic, Ochs jumped into action to save a large inventory of supplies from being thrown away. Her initial plan was to bring a truck load of materials from RRIE to the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA). But when RIMOSA shut down a month later, even more stuff needed somewhere to go.
With support from volunteers and the community, the CRC was launched to provide a permanent home for these supplies. The CRC is now an exceptionally active, majority volunteer-run organization that hosts numerous workshops, student field trips, artist residency programs, and more. In 2025, the CRC sold over 43,000 pounds of materials, which otherwise would have gone directly to the waste stream. They have received donated items from more than 800 donors since opening. “It is and continues to be a labor of love from the community,” says Ochs.
On June 10, 2026—after four years at their East Providence location—the CRC will begin its next chapter at 50 Sims Avenue in the Valley neighborhood. This stretch of Providence, long anchored by The Steel Yard and ISCO Spirits, is fast becoming a vibrant hub for creatives, small businesses, and non-profit initiatives. In their new multiuse home, the CRC will open its doors alongside Hungry Ghost Press, White Buffalo, Buttonwoods Brewery, the Guatemalan Center of New England, and more. For Ochs, the relocation is so much more than just square footage. “We are excited to be part of the Valley neighborhood and connect with all the artists and activists already thriving there,” says Ochs. Additionally, the CRC at the new location will be handicap accessible, a top priority for the organization.
The CRC is driven by a passionate team with backgrounds in education, social work, and non-profit leadership. “Not only are we a majority volunteer-run organization, all CRC staff have other jobs,” says Ochs. Among them is Programs Manager Victoria Rodriguez, who leads the CRC’s programs for youth and families. Outside her roles as a full-time executive director and freelance equity consultant, Rodriguez partners with local public schools to provide students the resources and creative space to learn about the environment and tackle their climate concerns.
During field trips at the CRC, students engage in hands-on learning about sustainability and reuse. In one project, students use recycled materials from the CRC to build models of the ecosystems and habitats they are learning about. This creative work serves an important purpose in connecting urban youth to nature, while helping address climate anxiety that many young people feel.
The types of donated materials available at the CRC. Photo: The CRC.
“Young people feel a lot of doom and helplessness when it comes to climate change and what is happening to the planet,” Rodriguez shares. To combat this, she sparks thoughtful conversations with them about mindful consumption and tangible actions they can take that are within reach. She encourages students to envision what they can do in their day to day lives, asking them “How could you be an environmental leader in our home? How could you encourage recycling, composting, or having a small garden on the windowsill? Could you donate old party favors to a place like the CRC or even use more thrifted items to reduce your environmental footprint?”
That sense of empowerment and agency extends to personal style too. “At the CRC, students learn they can craft sustainable, one-of-a-kind jewelry with our chains and beads rather than spend extra money buying something mass-produced at the mall,” says Rodriguez.
Beyond youth programming, the CRC is establishing itself as a vital “third space” (a community gathering place outside of home and work) that is meant to be as accessible and welcoming as possible. “People don’t need to spend money at the CRC,” explains Rodriguez, “They can bring their friends, families and kids and just hang out.”
When shopping at the CRC, customers can opt for an affordable annual membership, which provides a discount on all purchases. In addition, the CRC offers free BIPOC membership for a full year to promote equity and justice. “When it comes to equity, we’re not perfect and there’s lots of work to be done, “ says Ochs. “Every day we have to reassess and improve.”
Ochs is excited for the potential of the CRC’s new space and sees it as an invitation for the city and surrounding areas to help continue to build this local movement towards sustainability. “We are hoping to amaze people with how much more we can offer to the community, and how many more events and workshops we can run,” she says. “There really is not one type of CRC customer,” she explains. “It could be a teacher looking for a backdrop for a play. Or a home school family looking for science experiment materials. An artist needing fabric for a sewing project.” When their doors open at 50 Sims Avenue on June 10, the CRC invites everyone to explore how a bit of “trash” can build a much more creative and connected community. How neat is that?
For more information about the Creative Reuse Center of Rhode Island, please visit their website at /creativereusecenterri.org. As a non-profit, they are fundraising for their move: givebutter.com/crcmove. Businesses and individuals can also look on their website for materials they accept as donations once their move to Providence is complete.
At 50 Sims Avenue, the CRC’s hours will be open Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.. They will be closed Monday and Tuesdays.
Amber Ma lives on the west end of Providence with her husband and two cats. She loves gardening, shopping at farmers markets, and cooking with local and homegrown ingredients. She is also passionate about transit, sustainability, and pollinators. She is a volunteer at the Community Cat Center in Johnston. She and her husband went car-free in 2022 and are always exploring the city by foot, bike, or bus.
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