Way To Go Atlanta!

The Great ToolBank Tool Rush of 2008 was a roaring success; our most profitable to date! The Atlanta Community ToolBank extends a sincere thank you to all the volunteers and shoppers who made this event one for the record books. Their generosity will impact thousands of service projects across our city and beyond. Did you miss the sale? No worries, we will be back next year. Click the e-mail below to sign up for our monthly news blast and quarterly newsletter. We'll keep you in the know and hopefully, on the go, with our fun events.

Join us! Submit your e-mail and mailing address to gina@toolbank.org.

Early Bird Shopping!  - Sat Nov 8
The Great ToolBank Tool Rush

ToolBank's annual warehouse sale will feature early bird entrance, enabling serious shoppers to gain admittance at 8:00 a.m. by paying a $10.00 entry fee. The Great ToolBank Tool Rush will feature home and professional grade items, with tools for every trade priced far below retail. Don't miss the action! All proceeds benefit the ToolBank.

For more information please contact Gina Chaves at gina@toolbank.org

Leading the Pack

Atlanta Community ToolBank Board of Directors and staff are proud to present new Executive Director, Patty Russart. A recent transplant from the great state of Illinois, she brings over ten years experience in the field of fund development and non-profit management. With a special heart for volunteers and the ToolBank mission, Patty welcomes community input and looks forward to contributing to Atlanta's vibrant service scene. She can be reached at Patty@toolbank.org.

Save the Date!  - Sat Nov 8
The Great ToolBank Tool Rush

The ToolBank equips more than 50,000 volunteers annually with tools to build and rebuild communities across Georgia. Thousands of used and new tools are generously donated every year. In order to ensure consistency in both tool type and condition, some inventory is earmarked for our signature fundraising event, The Tool Rush. The 2008 sale will feature smaller handheld tools, cordless power tools, industrial equipment and more. The warehouse doors will open to the community from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information please contact Gina Chaves, Program Manager at 404-880-0054 ext. 11 or gina@toolbank.org

Tool handling fees hit record low;
No government bailout necessary

 Thanks to the generous support from Turner and Stanley Tools, tool handling fees are at a historic low.  ToolBank tool handling fees are typically 6% of the retail value of the tools borrowed by charitable organizations.  The annual program sponsorship from Stanley Tools and the September sponsorship by Turner Broadcasting System has lowered the fee to 4% for the month September.  For example, Grant Park Convservancy recently borrowed $408 worth of tools for a GSU Student workday in the park.  The tool handing fee was reduced from $24.48 to 16.32, thanks to our generous corporate sponsors.  Henry Paulsen, take note! Click here for more monthly sponsorship information.                               

ToolBank welcomes Gina Chaves

The ToolBank board and staff would like to introduce you to Gina Chaves, Program Manager at the ToolBank.  Gina comes to the ToolBank as a communications specialist, with several years of public health outreach experience.  Gina is responsible for cultivating new member agencies and increasing the value of ToolBank programming for nonprofit organizations.  If you'd like to connect a charitable organization to the ToolBank, contact Gina  at gina@toolbank.org (404) 880-0054 x11.  FULL STAFF LIST   

Save the Date!  - Sat Nov 8
The Great ToolBank Tool Rush

The date is now set, and all you have to do is show up!  Come to the TooLBank warehouse on Sat Nov 8 for the biggest tool sale you've ever witneessed.   The Great ToolBank Tool Rush is the annual housecleaning event, in which tools that do not match the lending inventory are sold to the public.  All sales and proceeds go to the Atlanta Community ToolBank.  More info to follow!

Allstate associates perform Community Workday
at the ToolBank

The ToolBank hosted the Allstate Insurance Community Workday on Wed June 25, in which an energetic team of associates came together to deliver no-cost HouseProud repairs for a senior homeowner in Summerhill.  Allstate associates scraped, primed, and caulked Ms. Buggs' home, just in time for her 89th birthday.  After lunch, the same team return to the ToolBank facility and performed maintenance tasks in the warehouse and removed a mountain of litter on a neighboring property.   Thank you, Allstate Insurance!  FULL PHOTO ALBUM   

ToolBank website gets turbo boost

The ToolBank website has a new home in cyberspace, resulting in dramatically reduced pageloading times.  Even the once-pokey Online Tool Order Form is now lightning-fast!  The ToolBank makes every effort to make full benefit of web technology, and we are confident you'll love the zippy responsiveness of the site from now on!

HouseProud now serving NPU-T

After nearly two decades of strengthening its unique model in Neighborhood Planning Unit V, (NPU-V) the HouseProud program at the ToolBank recently expanded to include NPU-T.  [what is an NPU?]  The new service area includes several historic neighborhoods rich in history, including West End, Westview, Harris Chiles, Ashview Heights, and the Atlanta University Center.  NPU-T is served by Area Manager Jonathan Kidwell, the ToolBank's newest employee. Jon will be a consistent presence in NPU-T and at community meetings.  Our thanks to NPU-T for their warm reception to HouseProud!  Click here to learn more about NPU-T, and click here to learn more about HouseProud.

HouseProud is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Atlanta through a Community Development Block Grant.

2008 Atlanta House Party
Delivers big for senior homeowners

The 2008 Atlanta House Party, presented by The Allstate Foundation, was a quantum leap in the mission of the HouseProud program, which delivers no-cost home repairs to senior homeowners in five neighborhoods near Turner Field.  It was also a great way to spend a beautiful spring day for a hoarde of corporate volunteers!  Click here for event pictures. 

Fee-free tools for tornado cleanup continues through April

In support of the efforts to restore communities after Atlanta's severe weather in March, the ToolBank waived all tool handing fees for projects related to tornado cleanup and and repair.  The offer has been extended through the month of April, as charitable organizations assess the damage and implement rebuilding strategies.  Please contact Program Manager Wade Medlock at (404) 880-0054 x11 for more information. 

THANK YOU, ATLANTA!
'08 Tool Drive a huge success

More than 100 ToolBank volunteers fanned out over the last weekend in March to collect tools for the ToolBank.  The ToolBank tool inventory grew by two dozen hammers, 43 wrenches, a whole mess of screwdrivers, 3 reciprocating saws, more than 200' of extension cord, 2 chain saws, a dozen pry bars, and hundreds upon hundreds of other tools donated by Atlantans everywhere.  A handful of donors had no tools, but were so moved by our volunteers that they went into the ACE Hardware store and bought tools to donate!  Our unforgettable team of volunteers made this success possible - thank you!  [MORE INFO]

Stanley Tools sponsors 12 months at the ToolBank

The Stanley Works, a global provider of tools, has committed a $60,000 grant to the Atlanta Community ToolBank, effectively subsidizing a portion of the cost of borrowing tools for 12 months, starting on March 1.  Stanley Tools' generous sponsorship reduces tool handling fees by 18% for all organizations borrowing tools from the Tool

Eight new tool types added to ToolBank inventory

Expansion made possible by the Home Depot Foundation

The ToolBank has added eight new tools to its inventory of tools for borrowing by nonprofits.  Several of the new tools are power tools that have been requested for years, and will allow nonprofits to take on larger and more ambitious projects than ever before. Click here to see the newly added tool types.

New online Volunteer Calendar:
Quick browsing, fast sign-up

Interested in volunteering at the ToolBank?  Click on the calendar to the right to view the new online Volunteer Calendar, where you can quickly browse upcoming events.  You can even sign up to volunteer in an instant with the Super Quick Volunteer Sign In (patent pending).  After you sign up, you'll receive a call from ToolBank staff for confirmation.  See you at the ToolBank!