Remodeling for Charity: Recycling Luxury for Recovery, Part 4 of 5

From S. Kim on August 27th, 2009 in General Remodel

For today’s installment of Remodeling for Charity, we’ll talk about Green Demolitions, an organization that works to save both the planet and families in need of home renovation.

Steve Feldman, Founder and President of Green Demolitions

It all started when Steve Feldman drove by a “Demolition in Progress” sign in front of a 10,000-square-foot Rockefeller mansion. He pulled into the driveway but was too late to salvage anything that time around. However, it did give him an idea. As a recovering addict whose life had been saved by a recovery program, he wanted to give back. Feldman decided to start a demolition donation program and sell recovered items (especially high-end kitchens) for a fraction of their cost. After he was featured in the real estate section of October 2001’s Greenwich Time, people responded by the thousands. Architects, builders and kitchen designers soon became involved by word-of-mouth.

By 2005, Green Demolitions was in full-swing. The nonprofit continues to support the donation program and three retail stores, located in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as outreach programs like All Addicts Anonymous. Since their founding, they’ve been featured in The New York Times, CNN, Planet Green, This Old House and Consumer Reports.org, to name a few.

An Unexpected Christmas Present

Valorie Gallagher of Wantage, New Jersey went through the Christmas holidays without a kitchen, but the finished product by Green Demolitions made it all worthwhile: contemporary maple cabinets, stainless and black appliances and an Italian iridescent glass wall and backsplash. “I was able to go from 1960s dark to this,” she said. “[It’s] my lifestyle area, it is more than a kitchen!”

Renovating for Arts, History & Community

Other satisfied customers also saw the “sign.” The first time Walter and Marilyn Barbe caught a glimpse of the Canal Lock House in White Mills, Pennsylvania, the “Keep Out, Condemned” sign had just been nailed to the door. From June to September 2008, with the help of friends and Green Demolitions, they restored the entire building. It now houses the canal museum and an apartment with a magnificent kitchen. Green Demolitions, like all of our highlighted organizations for this week’s Remodeling for Charity series, is a win-win for everyone.

Everyone wins with a purchase from Green Demolitions.

Green Demolitions, Barbe project in White Mills, Pennsylvania

Now this is a before & after!

The couple entered at their own risk and bought the house in spite of everything. A vision goes a long way in any home renovation. And so does a kitchen from Green Demolitions.