A second chance for intelligent consumerism – ‘Moed Bet’ store
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to the store’s Facebook page |
A team of employees from the Faculty of Civil Engineering took the initiative and established a Technion second-hand store. You too can be part of the change and the circle of giving.
Quietly, quietly, during the Passover holiday, a second-hand store opened on the Technion campus. The location: the shack with the blue roof near the parking lot of the Rabin Building (Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering). The dream of establishing a second-hand store is shared by a group of people, who have joined heart and soul to make it a reality. The motives for establishing such a store, especially in a student environment, are clear. The consumer culture has created abundance, which has led to a situation where people buy more than they need and worse, more than they use.It is not uncommon to find clothes in the storage closets that have been labeled, because they have not been worn even once. Alongside this, those of you who are not an only child, have certainly also been exposed to the phenomenon of “inheriting” the objects and clothes from their older siblings. Just like the package game that passes from one person to another, so too many items have been given new life and reuse at the cousins, neighbors or at a local thrift store like Wicho. Reuse is the basic principle behind ventures such as the second-hand stores we are familiar with, internet ventures such as the Yad2 site that offers each of us a platform to sell used items, or the “Agora” site, through which people hand over objects of their own free will and free of charge. Sharing objects offers abundance to all of us. Getting things we need or want at a reasonable price or without payment at all is a wonderful thing.At the same time, the very act of giving is blessed, as we free up space in the closet or at home, and bring new energies into our lives. These values guide a network of good people at the Technion who are engaged in social work under the radar and only for the sake of doing it. They believe in doing mitzvot, and do it with great modesty and without a desire to receive anything in return. Thanks to this activity, our own second-hand store was established during the Passover holiday on the Technion campus.
A second chance for smart consumerism
The implementation of this project was not simple and there is no doubt that the Faculty of Civil Engineering is the best place to find the people with the skills, energy and motivation for such an undertaking. Already several years ago there were attempts to promote such a store, but the attempts have not been successful until now. The renewed idea to establish this store arose during an innovation workshop, in which the employees of the Faculty of Civil Engineering participated, at the beginning of the current academic year. As part of the workshop, the employees came up with ideas for social projects, which they could carry out together. The establishment of a second-hand store at the Technion was unanimously chosen by everyone as part of the concept of concern for the preservation and nurturing of the environment in which we live. Later the store was given the meaningful name “Moed B””. The group is headed by Ronit Faran, director of a laboratory at the Faculty of Civil Engineering.
Where does the motivation to take part in this voluntary project come from?
Ronit Faran: “I come from a home that has always had a spirit of volunteerism. To this very day, my parents volunteer in several activities, among them Carmel Hospital, “Latat”, “Technode Haifa” and the group “The Beautiful Land of Israel”. I myself volunteer and take part in the “Amach” association ” (Association for Mental Support for Holocaust Survivors) and feels that this gives me no less than it gives to the real heroes who are the survivors. As soon as Irit approached me with an offer to help set up the store, I immediately picked up the glove and felt that I had the desire and energy to participate in this important project. I am very hopeful that the project will indeed be Success for everyone. Our feeling in the activity was that everyone is for one, and one for everyone.”
Later, the faculty employees turned to Tal Goldert, director of the Green Campus at the Technion at the time, for cooperation and turning the store into a significant sustainability center at the Technion. Tal Goldert: “A thrift store has been a dream of the green campus project and of all those involved in the craft for the past 5 years. I am very excited to see this project come to fruition, and I am sure that its future success will be proof of the importance of sustainability in our private lives and on campus in particular, in the social aspect, the economic aspect and of course the aspect The environmental one.Knowing that I have a place to hand over things that I have no use for makes it easier for me to part with things and makes me very happy to think that someone else who needs them will give them a new life. As with any environmental or social issue, you always need the “crazy person to speak” who will do it from the heart and not necessarily from the head. There is no team better suited to this task than the team driving this project. Seeing the old classroom become a store, the shelves being filled with good things, and of course seeing people come, get excited and buy with the understanding that they are doing the right thing – socially and environmentally and of course also financially – proves to me that the dream was true, and that the wait is worth it. The amazing work that was invested in the renovation, in thinking and is still being invested in operating the store and the responses we receive prove that when a project is right, everyone benefits.”
From children’s clothes to soaps
The store has clothes for all ages including children’s clothes, bags, jewelry, housewares and kitchenware, books and children’s games, candles, ornaments and even records. Some of the items received are brand new and even the label has not been removed from them. Many people can discover in their home objects that they bought and did not use. Sometimes people buy more than they need and things pile up at home. In addition, in the store, there is a donation made by the people of Kfar Tikva for people with special needs, where the donation from the sale of their products is dedicated to their well-being. Over the years the store grew physically and rooms were added such as a library and a children’s room and more.
The store is open five days a week, for two hours every day, by a team of volunteers from the faculty. In addition, the store works in collaboration with the “Employment Project for the Mentally Injured”, so that the store is a place for them where they will feel needed as they really will be. The “Moed B” store is intended for the entire Technion family and can also meet the needs of students who need essential items for the home, without incurring heavy expenses. The prices will be symbolic and will range from one weight to 20 shekels.”
Want to see what’s new in the store? Follow them on Facebook too.
The store will be open on the following days:
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, 10:00-13:00
Wed 12:30-17:00
You can bring things to the store during opening hours or by prior arrangement with:
Yaakov, in charge of the Rabin building, phone 8295881 or mobile 0524869941,
Or with Shalom in charge of the land building at tel. 8292326 or mobile 054478180.
