I officially established {Re}purposed Lives in early 2021, although the vision for this social business was birthed in my heart many years earlier when I discovered my family had an embarrassing problem with excess stuffed animals. As we were packing up for a move from St. Louis to Sarasota, I was suddenly aware of how profoundly my family was affected by materialism. It broke my heart to see no less than ten yard-size trash bags filled with stuffed animals and plushies that my five children had outgrown.

Faced with a dilemma to throw away plushies we could not give away or donate anywhere, I started to explore other redemptive solutions to this problem. Instead of simply contributing my family’s unwanted plush toys to landfills, I found a way to repurpose and recycle stuffed animals and use those revenues to fund programs serving at-risk children and families.

More About {Re}Purposed Lives

Re}Purposed Lives supports at-risk children and families while working to reduce textile waste through recycling unwanted stuffed animals and plush toys. Stuffed animals typically cannot be resold or donated due to health concerns, especially in a society recovering from a pandemic. Families often resort to throwing away these toys, which is difficult given the sentiment associated with stuffed animals.

{Re}Purposed Lives offers another eco-friendly, sustainable solution!

Instead of throwing away stuffed animals and contributing to landfill waste, our social business provides an innovative recycling option. When you donate your beloved toys to {Re}purposed Lives we promise to use these resources to help others and help our environment. Stuffed animal components that can be safely repurposed will be sold through our Etsy shop where 100% of the proceeds will be used to fund programs doing the hard and important work of serving vulnerable children. Those materials that cannot be repurposed for resale will be properly prepared and donated to textile recyclers.

{Re}purposed Lives needs your help in our mission to reuse, recycle, and restore. Visit our website to learn how you can get involved with recycling old parts to restore young hearts.