Enter to Win an Escape to Love City!!!

Good Morning, Good Morning!  Last week we introduced the Island Green Living Raffle to win an all-inclusive trip for two to Love City.  And, in one week, together we have raised $39k!!!  Woot!   This year’s prize package is absolutely incredible and includes everything the lucky winner and their travel companion could possibly ask for in a picture perfect week on St. John.  I’ll get into a bit more detail on this amazing prize package that you can ENTER TO WIN in this post, but I do first want to cast a light on some incredible work being done by this organization at their ReSource Depot on Gifft Hill.

Ok, so last week we chatted a bit about St. John’s ONLY non-profit thrift store but I want to get into some more detail on this feel good space located in the heart of Love City.  Since the program’s inception, they have recorded displacing 650,000 pounds of waste from the landfills in the USVI…QUITE an impressive number!  But what does that mean?  And what does it look like?

Ok, so look at it like this.  The average American disposes of roughly five pounds of trash DAILY!  Crazy right?  Factor in recycling and that drops the number to about four, so let’s go with that.  So, annually, we dispose of 1,460 pounds of trash per year, per person on average.  Based on these figures, the ReSource Depot has redirected this “trash” into other peoples’ treasures and successfully re-routed the waste of roughly 450 people from our landfills.  That’s roughly 10% of the entire population of St. John…their trash just POOF!  Vanishing from our carbon footprint.  JUST WOW!

On the flip side, they additionally provide an incredible service to the residents of St. John.  Have you ever tried to shop for furniture on an island?  Well, as most of you know, I recently moved into a new place.  Factoring a couch, desk, coffee table, etc. into a very size specific space in a place where resources like this are astronomically expensive and in high demand/low supply was absolutely daunting!  An end table at a furniture store on St. Thomas was, get this, $450.  I scoured Amazon, Wayfair and Walmart online, only to be disputed by my location at check out.  So, I rolled the dice and headed to the ReSource Depot, armed with my measurements of the space.  Determined not to come home empty handed.

I pulled into the gravel parking lot, lined at its edges with a recycling operation in the back, several shipping containers housing departments such as clothing, tools, building materials, etc., and a warehouse type space absolutely filled with treasures to behold!

 

When I walked inside, I was greeted by Kathie “Kat” Bodish, the ReSource Queen!  As I told her about my plight, I spied a nearly brand new and very Golden Girls looking couch next to her desk.  Friendly and efficient, she whipped out a measuring tape at my request.  The couch was a perfect size and was marked as sold in a matter of seconds.  Next up, the desk.  And it was right there as well with a clean look and the perfect dimensions.  I made out that day with under $500 spent and most of my place furnished.  I was on cloud nine.

I then found out that someone was refitting a villa nearby and had, the day before, dropped off several truckloads of amazing furnishings.  All tax deductible donations.  When I vacated my old apartment last summer, I personally brought several car loads of carefully sorted and selected items that no longer brought me joy.  Some of which is still on display at our little island thrift shop.  The rest of which has likely found a new home and owner by this time.  All of these things could have been destined for the dump without the ReSource Depot.  Every time I walk into the space up there, I’m filled with nostalgia and glee.  It’s absolutely inspiring.

Ok, so, for you visitors out there, this place is worth a stop as well!  Snorkel gear, beach chairs and second hand souvenirs can all be found at bargain basement prices!  And, if you keep them in good condition, you can drop them off again after to upcycle them for the next lucky treasure hunters.

Now, granted, it is the thrill of the hunt and you never know if you might find what you are looking for.  But, if you’re lucky, you might stumble upon exactly what you need.

Over the past year, the ReSource Depot underwent some major expansions and improvements.  Much in thanks to our 2021 fundraising!  But, we all love a non-profit that generates their own income to support their efforts, right?  Well, that’s exactly what the ReSource Depot does.  Every dollar spent there goes directly back into the Island Green sustainability efforts to keep this awesome space evolving and keeping rubbish out of our landfills.

This year, the ReSource Depot went from one part time employee to two full-timers and has grown a dedicated following of volunteers who show up daily to assist.  They are also now looking for a part-time employee to add to the squad.  What a dream job!  With these additional St. John resident employees and volunteers, they have been able to expand their hours to Tuesday-Saturday from 9AM-2PM with more expanded hours on the horizon.

The little island thrift shop that could just re-opened this week after being closed for an expansion into the upstairs of the main warehouse space.  With stairs built to code now installed and the upstairs renovated, they now house a fully functional new-to-you clothing boutique!

The boutique upstairs will house the majority of the items but Kat reassured me that they would be keeping the clothing container in the lot as a bargain basement deals area.

Another perk of stopping by is the recent addition of the St. John Eco Station.  You might remember the container in the Lumber Yard that boasted the ability to provide economically priced, environmentally sound household and commercial cleaning products.  Well, the owner of that business donated it OUTRIGHT to Island Green this year and now all of the products are available at the ReSource Depot.  You can go in and refill your old containers to eliminate even more plastic waste from our landfills.  They currently carry laundry detergent and household cleaners that are all EPA certified as “safer choice.”  The kitchen cleaner and window cleaner go a step further and are Green Seal 37 certified and show low toxicity for aquatic and human life.  These products are safer for septic systems and ground water and, if you reuse your container, you’re cutting down on plastic waste.  Win win!

Oh, and speaking of winning, let’s chat about that prize package!

If you haven’t already done so, take a look at the full prize package because it IS expansive!  But, today, I’m going to go into a bit of detail on the amazing accommodations the lucky winner (it could be YOU!) of this contest will get to indulge in for a full week!  Oh, did I mention that last year’s winner only bought ONE $50 ticket?  That’s right, one of you out there could be the recipient of an all expenses paid trip to St. John for JUST $50!

First things first, how are you getting there?  Well, the winner of this raffle will be given an airfare voucher good for $1000.  Even with flights as spendy as they currently are, that should still cover at least one and half of your two round trip tickets!

Once you arrive in Love City for your luxurious stay at Gallows Point Resort, you’ll pick up your ONE WEEK Jeep rental from Seashell Vacations.  That’s right, the woes and costs of renting a vehicle during your stay will be dust in the wind with a complimentary Jeep rental from this locally owned and operated company.  The owner of Seashell Vacations, Curtis Penn (board member and newly elected Treasurer of Island Green Living), has generously donated a rental vehicle for the week from their fleet for your one week stay.

And now, drum roll please, let’s take a look at your living quarters!

If you are not familiar with Gallows Point Resort, let me just tell you that it is the ultimate blend of luxury, accessibility and serenity.  Located on Gallows Point, between Frank Bay and Cruz Bay with on-site parking, guests at Gallows Point Resort never have to worry about the lack of parking in Cruz Bay.  But, with sea and snorkel access, a private pool, an elegant restaurant, a workout facility and convenience store/coffee shop on site and dozens of quiet outdoor areas to relax, you may never leave the property!

The units at Gallows Point Resort are privately owned and are popular among veteran Love City visitors.  Once you go into this sort of convenience and luxury, it’s tough to go back to anything else!  During your seven night stay, you’ll enjoy a spacious one bedroom ocean view villa with a full kitchen and private balcony for enjoying those serene St. John sunsets or early morning coffee by the sea.

Oh, and after you enjoy a first peaceful evening at your villa and an amazing night’s rest in your king sized bed, you can head straight to the beach the next morning!  The villas at Gallows Point all include beach chairs, coolers and beach towels…So, grab your snorkel first thing in the morning and head to the North Shore!

Well, what are you waiting for?  There is an amazing organization that needs your support and, for only a $50 donation, you could be back in Love City in no time at all!  Take a look at the full package for all the details and ENTER TO WIN today.