Jan Hagerman: Imagining the Possibilities, Using What We Have

Jan Hagerman is Manager of the New Brighton ReStore at Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit retailer working to keep donated home improvement goods—like cabinets, appliances, windows, and furniture—out of the waste stream for reuse, repurpose, or resale. ReStore sales generated help to build local Habitat for Humanity construction projects, which in turn support affordable homes for lower-income families. In addition to addressing housing equity in the Twin Cities, ReStores have diverted more than 400 million pounds of materials from entering landfills.

One of the most important things you can do regarding climate change is talk about it.

• An important role model in Jan's life was her mom, who strongly valued creativity and artistic expression. Instilled with love for embracing new things and using her imagination, Jan was able to see new possibilities as a part of her upbringing. "My parents were growing up in the Depression, and pre-World War II, you had to make do with what you had." Jan shares that she is part of a generation with strong values around conserving goods and materials as a lifestyle because buying new wasn't always an option. Who is someone in your life that you might see as a role model, and what influence do they have on your life? What lessons can we learn from other generations about the conservation of goods and materials, and how might that knowledge help us achieve drawdown?
• ReStore is a treasure trove of goods, creating the perfect place for bargain seekers and DIYers (people who engage in 'Do-It-Yourself' crafts and projects) to find inspiration for everything from small projects to significant home remodeling updates. Jan uses her imagination to upcycle "junk" and create new possibilities. When Jan was growing up, her great uncle Walt owned a junk store, and Jan recalls that it was an exciting place to find treasures. Jan takes pride that now she runs the New Brighton ReStore at Habitat for Humanity, which prizes the ability to repurpose and reuse goods to give them a second life. Jan takes pride in helping others see the value of "junk" and reimagining how it might be useful. "Upcycling" is turning something old into something new. What is an item that you might have in your room or in your home that could use some refurbishing? What creative ideas do you have for incorporating the concept of upcycling into your life?
• Volunteering and acts of service were regularly modeled for Jan by her mom when she was growing up. "[My mom] …never walked into church empty-handed; she always had something for someone; clothes for the clothing bin, food for the food shelf, fabric for the quilting, books for the nursery, but she never left carrying anything; she never left empty handed though, what she got was way more than she gave." Through her mom's influence, encouraging others to grow and "paying it forward" are important parts of Jan's identity and worldview. "You never know what that ripple effect is going to be," she says. Why is volunteering a critical aspect of our society, and specifically, how might it help as we work together to address climate change?
• Jan's advice for someone looking to find their purpose or career path is, "your passion is your passion." It is no one's job to tell you what your passion is or how to navigate it. "Whatever you do, do it well…love what you do and do what you love." What is something that you feel passionate about and why? Do you have clear ideas for the next steps that might help you navigate your passion and get more involved?

Learn about the solutions in this story.

• Solution Sector: Industry
• Solution: Recycling
• Climate Solutions Cluster: Improve Materials; Use Waste
• For more on all of the Drawdown climate solutions, visit drawdown.org/solutions.
• Learn more about Jan’s work: New Brighton ReStore at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Explore Climate Solutions 101, the world's first major educational effort focused solely on climate solutions. This video series combines Project Drawdown’s trusted resources with the expertise of inspiring, scientifically knowledgeable voices from around the world: drawdown.org/climate-solutions-101.

• Drawdown Ecochallenge, presented by Ecochallenge.org, is a fun and social way to take measurable action on the top solutions to global warming. Take the challenge, and see how a few weeks of action add up to a lifetime of change for you and the planet. If you want to take action on waste like Jan, visit https://drawdown.ecochallenge.org/challenges/industry.
• The Drawdown Labs Job Function Action Guides are practical and shareable resources that highlight specific, high-impact climate actions employees in common corporate professions can take at work. 
• ChangeX connects people with proven ideas for strengthening communities with the resources needed to implement those changes. Explore countless ways to improve your community and help the world reach drawdown.
• Climate Generation's Green Careers for a Changing Climate Instructional Supplement (for Grades 6-8) contains resources to help young people learn about Green STEM Careers — careers that can help solve the impacts of climate change using STEM skills. Throughout this instructional supplement, students will be using the resource Drawdown to make important connections to solutions that these careers will implement.
• Solutions Journalism Network highlights the importance of reporting stories of climate solutions in the media to create a more equitable and sustainable world. Visit their Teaching Climate Solutions resource to find curated collections and the latest examples of climate solutions journalism.
• SubjectToClimate (StC) is a nonprofit online connector for K-12 leaders of all subjects to find materials on climate change at no cost. Explore StC’s educator-generated database to connect to Project Drawdown-based climate education resources.