"The distance between dreams and reality is action" ~A.Rivas

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In Spring 2019, the former City of Springfield's Waste & Recycling Programs Manager, Adena Rivas, created a coalition of diverse local organizations and innovative leaders within the community interested in working together to make her vision of a reuse, upcycling marketplace a reality. 

The coordinated effort began with a small grant awarded from the Re-Amp Network in Fall 2019. From there, the original framework of the reuse marketplace expanded and the coalition grew.
 

Original partners included the City of Springfield, Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association (EPNIA), the Springfield Art Association (SAA), Inner City Mission, Third Presbyterian Church, and Sustainable Springfield, Inc.

While the wheels stayed in motion, the Creative Reuse Marketplace (CRM) did not fully get off the ground until Spring 2020, at the outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic. At this time, the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln awarded the 2020 Women's Fund grant to the CRM.

Undeterred by Covid-19 and humbled by the support from the Women's Fund, under Rivas’ leadership and umbrella of EPNIA, the coalition was finally able to turn Dream into Reality. Awarded funds were used to create the CRM from the ground up, including the creation of a Workforce Development Training (WTP) Program for underserved and/or homeless women. This program has evolved to become all-inclusive. 

In the summer of 2023, the CRM officially split from its parent organization, EPNIA, and became its own standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  The CRM is made up of a diverse volunteer base as well as an all-women-run Board of Directors. It is a  collaborative community resource that maintains strong partnerships within the  community, including the Springfield Art Association, Sustainable Springfield, Inc.,  Kidzeum, and teachers across multiple disciplines and  grade levels within Sangamon and Menard Counties 

The CRM has grown in community participation, programming, and support. 

It continues to be a one-stop donation and retail location where lightly used, upcycled, reused, and/or non-recyclable post-consumer materials are donated, sorted, and displayed; sold to artists, crafters, teachers,  students, and hobbyists; and/or redistributed locally to organizations in need.  

The CRM has also evolved and expanded to include community workshop/classes, a redistribution Creative Reuse Cubby program, and has designed and implemented an Art-Based SEL Alternative School Program during the spring and full school year of 2025-2026. This program is currently evolving to expand its reach. Find out more about each under the Education & Outreach link.