(Photos: Dave McCabe)
You know how when you’re riding around and you see a lonely glove lying in the gutter? Ever wondered what could/should be done with those?
Well, northeast Portland residents Dave McCabe and Heather Morrill have created a fun new project that has hit the shelves of the Community Cycling Center’s bike shop on NE 17th and Alberta: It’s the “glove orphanage.’
Like its name implies, the project recycles gloves found on the road, cleans them up (“re-pairs” them), matches them with another orphan glove, and sells them for $1 to benefit the CCC’s non-profit work.
Dave describes the project like this: “The gLove orphanage matches up single gloves to make new pairs. It’s a form of direct recycling and it helps save money for folks in the bike community who are strapped for cash.”
And the project has been very well received so far. This spring, a pilot project to test the market was successful. “They sold out surprisingly quickly,” Dave said. He and Heather have an ample supply right now, but they’ll be looking for more orphan gloves as fall rolls around. So, next time you see an orphan glove lying on the ground, pick it up and drop it off at the CCC on 17th and Alberta.
Dave sent in these photos of he and Heather’s orphaned glove workshop:
Check out the Glove Orphanage website for more info.
Very clever idea!
And the Portlandia episodes keep writing themselves!
Cool!
I could probably supply about 4-5 a week during the cold/wet times.
James Thurber wrote an essay called The Case Against Women where he gave a laundry list of what he perceived to be faults peculiar to women. At the top of his list is that they always lose one glove. Whenever I hear conversations about single gloves, I think of that essay. Before too many folks get cranked up over that, he also co-authored a book called Is Sex Necessary? and was known for his satire.
I have lost a single glove. I have the lonely survivor of that set, my favorite biking gloves in a style that’s no longer available. I’ll send it along.
Perhaps this project will allow Mr. Thurber to rest more easily.
Great idea! I sometimes see orphaned gloves on the road, but I leave them in case the owner doubles back. If it’s there on the next day, from now on I’m grabbing it for the orphanage.
If this is a Portlandia episode, it’s a smart one.
Would they mind looking around for a single xxxl red, white, blue AXO full fingered, It’s twin is lonely.
I too used to leave them alone until my walking partner told me picks them up, washes them, and uses them. I got a sweet navy fleece pair that way. (Boy, the mud that came out of them in the initial soaking phase!) Now I will carry a zip lock bag and collect them for the CCC.