Karen Jayne with Stardust Barbara Blalock with Treasures 4 Teachers and Tom Mehlert with AZ StRUT

Stardust Non-Profit Building Supplies provides quality reclaimed materials for reuse. Founded in 1997, Stardust was created when a local philanthropist and founding Board member was about to undertake a complete home remodeling project. As with any major remodeling project, the first step is to remove everything from the home, essentially gutting the structure in preparation for rebuilding.

On the weekend before the demolition was to begin, the Founder told several friends to take whatever they wanted out of the house. When the Founder and his wife returned to inspect the property prior to demolition they were surprised to discover every usable material had been removed from the house including cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lighting and electrical supplies and flooring. The Founder’s friends used the materials to remodel their own homes, sold items to those who could not afford the prices of large retail stores or donated items to others in need. It is from this humble beginning that Stardust was born.

Over the past 25 years, Stardust has increased its focus on diverting usable building materials from local landfills while providing a resource for low income homeowners who are interested in remodeling their homes. Stardust operates retail warehouse stores selling building supplies donated by manufacturers, distributors, contractors and individuals. This process diverts over 5.0 million tons of reusable building materials from local landfills every year making new and nearly-new materials available to our community at 50-80% off retail prices.

Proceeds generated by Stardust Reuse Centers are used to support Deconstruction and Gifts In Kind programs. Stardust Deconstruction services offer removal and pick-up of materials to further encourage recycling and environmental stewardship. Stardust Deconstruction crews remove useable building materials from homes and businesses in return for donation of the items removed. Gifts In Kind, operated in partnership with Valley of the Sun United Way, annually distributes over $22 million in usable materials donated by local retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot to nonprofit organizations for use by their clients or to support their operations.

Stardust’s Gifts In Kind program supports over 400 non-profit agencies in Maricopa County and touches the lives of over 200,000 individuals and their families every year. It is through these community service programs and partnerships that Stardust is able to serve a wide range of individuals from young to elderly, all living at or below the poverty level.

Chief Executive Officer, Karen Jayne has over 30 years of experience in non-profit and for-profit leadership, management, program design, and fund development.

In 2011, Jayne was appointed to CEO of Stardust and in her tenure she has increased diversion rates of usable building materials and launched the Gifts In Kind program which has distributed more than $75 million worth of reusable household items to fellow nonprofit organizations.

She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She has served in leadership capacities on the board of the Organization of Nonprofit Executives as well as the national Building Materials Reuse Association and Social Enterprise Alliance Arizona Chapter.

Currently she serves as a board member for the Arizona Recycling Coalition and a member of USGBC AZ Market Leadership Advisory Board and the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Policy Council.

Follow Stardust Nonprofit Building Supplies on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

With an average of more than $700 annually coming from their own pockets, educators are struggling to get their students the essential supplies they need to be successful learners.

Treasures 4 Teachers (T4T) has found a way to support educators with those needs by collaborating with community businesses, other non-profit agencies, and individual donors to collect new and re-usable resources and make them available for low or no cost to educators in our community.

Barbara Blalock is the Founder and Executive Director or Treasures 4 Teachers.

She has been in education and nonprofit roles throughout her career which led her to start Treasures 4 Teachers.

Barbara has been recognized in the community for awards and grants to support her mission of providing free and low cost supplies to teachers across Arizona.

Connect with Barbara on LinkedIn and follow Treasures 4 Teachers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.