Welcome Jo Schierloh, our new John Carroll summer intern!

We’re lucky to partner with John Carroll University’s Summer in the City program to host a full time intern for 10 weeks and we’re so excited to welcome Jo to our team. During her time with us Jo will share blog posts about her work at Upcycle Parts Shop. Thanks Jo!

6/7/22 Week #1 by Jo Schierloh

When you first walk into Upcycle, you are instantly hit with a sense of curiosity; What is this place? Who will I meet? What can I make? If I walk into the basement to fill my $10 bag, will I ever come back up? You may not know all these things when you walk in, but you will always leave knowing the mission of Upcycle. You’ll leave (and this is probably two hours later if you chose to explore in the basement),feeling like you have met a new friend, enjoying something in your hands, and already planning your return visit.

Working with Cass and Jayne in the store has shown me the hard work that goes into accepting, organizing, pricing, putting out donations, and interacting with the customers. While doing so, they prioritize customer service by greeting each customer individually, asking their name, and sharing the mission of Upcycle so customers know what they are contributing to. 

In addition to working in the store, I have also been able to see behind the scenes. I joined a meeting with Dasha, Upcycle’s Community Outreach Specialist, and other neighborhood stakeholders who work together to support one another. Dasha is so talented at connecting people in the community and really highlighting the St. Clair Superior neighborhood as a place with a lot of good and potential. It is inspiring to see her work as I learn more about the neighborhood and her ability to facilitate the voices from the community to form a collective plan. 

Different people and organizations are always coming to Upcycle to learn! Future entrepreneurs from the SEA Change NEO came to Upcycle to hear Nicole and Jessica Davis (from Rebuilders Exchange) share their experiences of being entrepreneurs in the for-profit and nonprofit worlds. Throughout the night, the topic kept coming back to the importance of community. Both Nicole and Jessica have a history of working in many different places and jobs;what always brings them joy is being part of a community. 

Upcycle is a place where people can come to and feel this sense of community. I felt part of the community right away when Nicole invited me and the Upcycle team and supporters to a social mixer. That’s me in the top left corner! I will be interning through the summer, and will post weekly updates. Everyone has a home at Upcycle, and I'm so glad it has already started to become that for me. The community truly is built through reuse, resourcefulness, and relationships.