Every Monday I write about a person, group of people or
organization that is making a difference in the world, or their community. On
some Monday’s I scour the internet and struggle to find material for this
theme. However this weekend I realized that there are people making a
difference all around me right here in Savannah. The movement towards
sustainability in community is truly growing here in Savannah. The term
"sustainability" means the responsible management of resources (both
material and human) in the interest of long-term survival. There are many
residents here in Savannah that are pursuing individually, as a business and as
non-profit organizations the sustainability of our community. As it turns out many
of them are working together in one way or another, which makes sense in the
principal practice of community sustainability.
The Southern
Pine Company located over on 34th and East Broad St. is a prime
example of how this principal of community sustainability is making a difference.
Southern Pine Company owners Pam and Ramsey Khalidi rescued the building from
demolition in the early 2000’s and turned into a bustling reclaimed wood
materials flooring and furniture building company. However using reclaimed
materials is only one way Sothern Pine practices sustainability.
They lease a franchise of the national staffing agency Labor Ready out of the building, which
draws day laborers from the
surrounding neighborhood. Offering the economically sagging neighborhood a
chance at sustaining itself. Print and design firm STEAM rents space at Southern Pine, and
Gullah chef and cookbook author Sallie Ann Robinson is drawing up plans for a
restaurant and cooking school. The coffee roaster PERC recently found its home in a corner of
the property. PERC is filled with reclaimed salvaged wood tables, custom-built
bathrooms and a giant new roaster. The Khalidi’s also make use of their large
property by offering it up to the artistic community as a gathering space hosting
all-age musical extravaganzas like Graveface Fest and No Control as well as the
recent craft showcase Savannah Bazaar in its brick courtyard (laid with bricks
reclaimed from a demolished city building – of course.) Southern Pine is also
host to Maven Makers, an organization
that is working to establish a collaborative work-space, run workshops and other
community oriented events, with the goal of creating a community of knowledge,
design, and creativity.
In the back corner of Southern Pine (behind PERC) an 18 foot
tall greenhouse is under construction. The green house is being constructed
completely with reclaimed materials, windows and all. The greenhouse is the
vision of Meagan Hodge, President and co-founder of Design for Sustainability. Design for Ability, Inc. serves as
a universally designed apprenticeship for youth with exceptional needs that
advocates environmental stewardship through green jobs training and vocational
education. They have partnered with Emergent
Structures a non-profit whose mission is to increase the value and
accessibility of building material waste streams through facilitation,
collaboration, education, and advocacy. The project is sponsored by many
companies from cash checks (Ikea) to
material (DIRT Environmental Solutions
& Guerry Lumber), skill and time
(Sam Carroll Construction
& RNR Home Improvements) donations.
The plan for the soon to be completed greenhouse, is to have
the students and residents from the local neighborhood plant edible greens.
Thus helping provide healthy economical food to people in a sustainable way. It’s
a sustainability micro-environment right in the backyard of Southern Pine Company.
An environment that I suspect will continue to reach out into our community in
Savannah and continue to Make a Difference.
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