Volunteer Spotlight: Alicia Zander

Our volunteers make the wheels turn here at Austin Creative Reuse!  Every month we celebrate one of the amazing people that choose to donate their time to make reuse dreams come true.

For February, we're spotlighting, Alicia Zander. On the second and fourth Wednesday of every month you can find Alicia facilitating our community collaboration event with Austin Pets Alive, showing folks how to make no sew kennel liners from donated fleece.

Learn more about Alicia below!

What motivates you to volunteer? 

I love all the cool stuff that circulates through ACR and the creative people who make good use of it. Sorting and shelving give me a comforting sense of order and purpose.  

Why ACR? 

I first found out about ACR from A Seton Cove workshop about the Joy of Tidying Up. I had hoped it would help my friend who was steeped and overflowing  in her material possessions. ACR was listed as a resource for moving towards minimalism.

The staff and volunteers are fun and welcoming. They help us all enjoy the second round of consumer goods and keep stuff out of the landfill.  I also love the fact I can volunteer with my kids and get great stuff for our Girl Scout Troop. 

How long have you volunteered with ACR? 

I did some family volunteering shifts with my kids starting in 2018. I really started to volunteer in the center and with take home projects at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. I was grateful that the training was virtual and that ACR provided safe opportunities to volunteer and create.

Are you more into the arts aspect of ACR or the conservation aspect and why?

I have written hundreds of postcards from ACR to friends and family during the pandemic. I like to take on simple crafting projects and make them in bulk often to benefit the community. I have made thousands of crayon paw ornaments and magnets and sold them to benefit Austin Pets Alive! With Generation Serve, my kids and I have braided hundreds of paracord leashes for the dogs in shelter. We are currently making no-sew dog beds at ACR workshops. So I love to craft for a cause. Recycling and reuse are very important to me. I love being part of the ACR conservation mission. 

Where else have/do you volunteer? 

I have volunteered at Austin Pets Alive as a dog-Walker for 8 years. I have volunteered with my kids at Generation Serve for 4 years. I have been a Girl Scout leader for 5 years. I also volunteer at our church teaching Sunday School and participating in our Anti-Racism committee. I think it is so great when I can help link organizations and cross-pollinate across the groups to better the community. 

What do you enjoy the most out of volunteering at ACR? 

I enjoy the friendly creative and organized people and the cool stuff.

Do you have any interesting or funny stories about something that happened while you were volunteering at ACR?

Sadly, I can never come up with an answer to these kinds of questions.