reuse120Finger Lakes ReUse announced it has received a $4,000 grant from The Helen Thomas Howland Foundation as administered by the Community Foundation. Finger Lakes ReUse will use the funds to support its new job training program, ReSET (Skills Employment Training), which was launched on March 18, 2013 and is continuing with two more rounds of training this year.

ReSET is a milestone in Finger Lakes ReUse short five year history. Teaching job skills and creating employment opportunities have always been core goals of the organization, but with the launch of ReSET, the organization now offers a formalized program, complete with scholarships for advanced-level trainees. The program builds on two of Finger Lakes ReUse core services, eCenter computer refurbishing and repair services, and Deconstruction Services, an environmental alternative to demolition. Both of these programs offer excellent opportunities for trainees to learn through hands-on activities in areas of technology and construction.

The ReSET program has also received financial support from the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency, the United Way Youth & Philanthropy Fund, and Tompkins County Solid Waste Management Division. The program was developed in partnership with many community organizations, including Tompkins Workforce NY, the Ithaca Youth Bureau, Ithaca College, and Challenge Workforce Solutions.

“It was a long planning process and is the culmination of everything we've been learning about the potential to educate and empower through reuse,” said Diane Cohen, Executive Director of FLR.

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