BARC has two locations in Traverse City and Kaleva, which has allowed us to become an integral part of two communities here in Northern Michigan. No matter where we go, we love working with other non-profit organizations, local businesses, and Michiganders who work hard to make a positive impact, especially regarding the environment. We have talked a lot about what we do up in Traverse City, as we have been located in the area for the last 15 years. However, we have been up to some exciting things with some incredible people in Manistee County that we would love to highlight. Read this article for an update on what is happening down in Kaleva!
Why Did We Choose Kaleva?
The charming town of Kaleva stood out when we were looking for a second location to grow our mission. Founded by Finnish immigrants, this Northwest Michigan village in the heart of Manistee offers a quiet life close to nature, which aligns seamlessly with our non-profit’s vision. In addition, the folks in Kaleva also share a love for preserving the beauty of Northern Michigan, with a strong sense of community that we love being a part of. To learn more about Kaleva, check out this article, where we dive deeper into why we love it here and the unique historic charm this small town offers.
Exciting Events Happening in Kaleva
Although Kaleva is a small town, many really exciting things are going on throughout the year. One event, in particular, stands out: the BARC Spring Expo/Fundraiser!
BARC Spring Expo/Fundraiser
We are thrilled to talk more about our upcoming Spring Expo/Fundraiser! The event will be hosted at our Kaleva location because it will focus on our Mattress Recycling Program, a primary focus at our Kaleva office.
Last year in 2022, the BARC Mattress Recycling Program recycled over 10,000 mattresses and box springs properly. We also reused approximately 92,627 lbs of shotty/cotton from mattresses and approximately 132,020 lbs of metal. These numbers are something we are very proud of; however, we are excited to expand and upgrade this program to recycle even more mattresses.
To kickstart this program upgrade, we received a $500,000 grant to help automate our mattress recycling process this year. As a result, in the next five years, we’ll have the potential to quadruple the number of mattresses we divert from landfills into reusable commodities. However, we are still looking to raise additional funds to reach our goal and continue expanding this program, which is why we would love to have every one of our loyal supporters join us on May 19th, 2023, in Kaleva for our Spring Expo/Fundraiser!
We are hosting this event to bring awareness to our mission, provide education on recycling and current methods, and procure matching mattress grant funds to upgrade equipment. The equipment upgrades will make operations safer and more efficient, making it easy for us to increase our capacity and profitability. By doing this, we will be able to make recycling used bedding more affordable and accessible for the communities we serve. This hard work also helps reduce methane emissions.
The event will be hosted at the Kaleva facility, showcasing the sheer volume of our operations. There will also be free refreshments, an incredible charcuterie spread, and a taco bar. In addition, there will also be some fun fundraising activities like a same-day 50/50 raffle, bucket raffle, and a bake sale! Finally, we will feature several awareness activities like a compostable product expo, mattress-cutting demonstrations, and a chance to shop at our Resale Store!
Please let us know by visiting our Facebook event page if you are interested in this event. If you can’t make it or live far away, please consider donating.
Incredible Non-Profit Organizations and Businesses in Manistee
We love being a part of the incredibly close-knit community in Manistee County and have made many friends here in the area. Here are some of the incredible non-profit organizations and businesses we work with!
Kaleva Lions Club
Although Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members, the Kaleva Lions Club is dedicated to serving the local community here in Manistee. BARC works closely with the club and recently donated books to the organization that will go to those in need who love to read!
Big Bear Sportsman Club
Big Bear Sportsman Club is a non-profit community Sportsman’s Club based in Kaleva, Michigan, that offers Shotgun, Rifle, Pistol, and Archery Ranges to their members. They also offer various activities in the local area that go beyond outdoor shooting sports!
Staircase Youth Services
Staircase Youth Services was established in 1979 and is an outreach that provides youth and family intervention services in Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Oceana, and Wexford Counties. BARc has helped their program in partnership with local bike shop Spindrift CycleSports by donating bikes that will go to those in need.
Spindrift CycleSports
Spindrift CycleSports is a great bike shop in Ludington that we recommend if you are in the market for a new ride. They also have an incredible program in partnership with Staircase Youth Services, where they take bikes that need to be repaired, fix them, and give them to those that need transportation.
Manistee Conservation District
Manistee Conservation District is an incredible organization that is on a mission to implement programs and provide services, including technical assistance, that foster an appreciation of the beauty and quality of the natural resources of Western and Northwestern Michigan to promote positive stewardship of the land, water, soil, and wildlife, and to serve the communities that depend on those natural resources.
Kaleva Resale Shop
Last but not least is our very own Kaleva Resale Shop! This store has helped us expand our efforts of diverting materials from landfills and has furthered our mission of giving back to the local communities that support us. You can find many items here, from cookware to children’s clothing to books, furniture, antiques, and electronics. Plus, we have a corresponding monthly sale promoted on our website and Facebook, so you can get an even better deal when you shop with us!
If you’d like to donate to our Resale Shop, please review our donation guidelines prior to seeing if your items are a good fit. Of course, you can also donate your time, as we are always looking for volunteers.
Visit BARC in Kaleva
Kaleva holds a special place in our hearts, and we are so proud to be such a big part of the community here! As we continue to expand, we will remember how welcoming the people, businesses, and non-profits of Manistee County have been to our staff and mission.