Our March newsletter went out yesterday!:) It’s been a super busy (but super fun month)!

Don’t miss out- subscribe today!

As the Tool Shed approaches a year old, we are excited to announce a new collaboration with the City of Rochester’s Neighborhood & Business Development- Housing Division!

When any business, community organization, or non-profit sponsors SEAC’s Tool Shed, we will give a number of memberships to the Housing Division, which will then be distributed to Rochester residents that have completed the City’s Home Purchasing Program. We are committed to getting our tools into the hands of people that need them, so they can make the changes the want. To that effect, we are preemptively gifting 30 Tinker level memberships to the Neighborhood & Business Development- Housing Division to kick this collaboration off strong!

On a personal note (Mike Evans)- my wife and I just become first time home owners in October 2022 and the Tool Shed saved us $900+ in the first weekend in our home (and more since), so I personally experienced the positive impact of having access to tools when you’re on a budget.

One of our Tool Shed members used our tools to do some gorgeous work in their kitchen. We love hearing how our tools help our residents and communities make the changes they want to make!

Only $25 a year gets you access to our library of over 750 tools and our DIY educational classes. Become part of our tool sharing community today!

February was a fun (and busy month) for SEAC!

Winners of SEAC’s Trivia Night at Dicky’s Corner Pub!

Check our newsletter to see all the exciting stuff:)!

Don’t miss our future newsletters by subscribing today!

Groundhog got you down? Not us!

We had great time helping residents of Kirkhaven plant the seeds for a Three Sisters Garden! Come this spring, we’ll be planting these at our partner Community Garden, 490 Farmers!

Using adaptive color and texture techniques for challenges of vision loss, Kirkhaven graciously hosted the first workshop in our 2023 Feeling Your Way gardening series.

We shared stories, memories, folklore, smiles and more smiles as we started squash, corn, tomato and other plants for germination on their sunny, warm, and joyful window sills!

Keep your eyes, ears, noses and fingers peeled for more information about our Three Sisters Planting Day on April 23!

SEAC is dedicated to creating an open, safe environment for all our employees, volunteers, community members and residents.  SEAC’s mission is to promote quality of life within the southeast area of Rochester by connecting individuals and community partners to essential resources.  Our Tool Shed’s mission is to provide our members the tools they need to create the changes they want.  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are at the core  of every facet of SEAC’s mission and work, not just in our service area, but throughout Greater Rochester.

Check out our Pillars of Focus Impact Summary for our 2022-2023 Fiscal Year to see the work SEAC’s done in our neighborhoods and communities and beyond.

SEAC and KeyBank are collaborating to a course on Financial Literacy!

This class will be both virtual and a limited amount of spots for in person. The first class will be held in February 27th.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out this quick survey from KeyBank. Their educators will tailor build the class based on what interests the group most.

Secondly, please fill out SEAC’s Financial Class Registration, so we can contact you with the exact date and time, zoom information, and/or any other information and updates.

This class is free and open to the public! Sign up today!

January has been a busy (and fun and fantastic) month for SEAC!

We’ve celebrated one year of moving into our new location and setting up the Tool Shed as well as hiring Nick Wilbur, our amazing Tool Shed Coordinator.

We were awarded $10,000 by the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation (THANK YOU)!

We got two new businesses signed on for SEACing It Out– Crumpets and Metro Salon!

AND we have five DIY classes coming throughout Feb and March!

Check out all the cool news here! If you’re not subscribed, you can do that on our website:).

Today, January 3rd, 2023, marks our one year anniversary of moving into our new home at 1255 University Ave, C010 (Lower Level)!

What a crazy year it’s been. Thank you to all SEAC’s staff, board members, volunteers, and all our community partners that helped get us to our new location and getting the Tool Shed up and running!

While it took a bit of time to gather the donations and get them entered into our database, we were super eager to open our doors to the public!

With roughly 250 tools in our inventory, on April 4th, 2022, we did just that!

Since opening we have:

• Enrolled over 270 members from over 34 zip codes.
• Gathered an inventory of over 700 tools
• Rented out over 1,400 tools.
• Saved Greater Rochesterians roughly $76,000 in tool purchases.
• Kept an estimated over 3 tons of tool waste out of landfills.
• Partnered with other local agencies: Fairport Tool Thriftshop, Mayer Hardware, St. Michael’s Woodshop, and The Buffalo Tool Library.
• Provided tools to community gardens and Neighborhood Associations.
• Developing several DIY classes, including:
• Tool Safety in collaboration with Mayer Hardware.
  • How to change the guts of a toilet.
  • How to safely change an electrical outlet.
  • How to change a doorknob and deadbolt.
  • Financial Literacy in collaboration with KeyBank.
  • Post-closing home ownership education.
• And more as we continue to grow!

We look forward to seeing you all at the Tool Shed!

“We have the tools you need to create the changes you want to make!”

A huge thank you to the Tool Shed’s newest sponsor, Climate Solutions Accelerator!! Your support ensures this program stays financially sustainable and allows the SEAC and the Tool Shed to deliver on its mission of giving our communities and neighborhoods access to the tools they need to create the changes they want to make.

Become a Sponsor Today!