Sure We Can Inc

Sure We Can is a non-profit recycling center, community space and sustainability hub in Brooklyn where canners, students and neighbors come together through recycling, sustainability, gardening, and art. For 15 years, Sure We Can has supported canners--the people that make a living collecting cans and bottles from the streets, redeeming them for 5 cents each. Canning helps them keep a roof over their heads and provide for their families, and also reduces street litter and diverts waste from landfills. From our redemption work to our education, advocacy and outreach programs, we're promoting social inclusion, environmental awareness and economic empowerment.

Since 2009, Sure We Can has rented the 15,000 square foot lot at 219 McKibbin Street where canners go every day to sort and redeem these recyclables. There is a trailer that serves as SWC's office. There is space for composting and an urban garden. The lot also serves as a space where SWC conducts education and advocacy campaigns, such as the current effort to expand the NYS Bottle Bill. For many canners and community members, SWC is a second home.

For several years, SWC's landlord has threatened us with eviction. As Bushwick becomes home to more luxury condos, the real estate is more valuable than ever. As a tiny, grassroots organization, we have never had the ability to pay the $2.6 million the landlord is asking. Until, maybe, now. 

This spring, Sure We Can secured a $580,000 grant from the NY Regional Economic Development Council that should, combined with a loan, enable us to buy the site, cementing a permanent space for some of New York's most marginalized informal sector workers. 

However, we still need to raise an additional $50,000 to pay the closing costs and other fees associated with the purchase. For that, we need your help!