A Love Letter to the Scraplanta Community Dear ScrapATLIens, I am amazed by the community we created because we love making cool art and protecting the environment. From the very first email I received in November 2021 about Scraplanta’s glorious return, I knew that Scraplanta would be a welcoming organization with a culture of respect, inclusivity, and positivity. Every week, I am greeted by folks who are eager to buy art supplies for their next project. Whenever I have the pleasure of ringing up someone’s order, I always encourage folks to take pictures of their beautiful creations. If not for my own love of art, at least for folks to remember that they are capable of creating something positive and wonderful with their hands and their minds.  I am forever in awe of how wonderfully talented ScrapATLiens are, and I hope that as Executive Director I can continue to provide an environment where makers can thrive.  To Scraplanta’s amazing board members, I am thankful for every one of Scraplanta’s board members, both past and present. Scraplanta’s board constantly challenges me to lead with integrity, optimism, and courage. Every board meeting is filled with wonderful discussions about how we can better serve the community. I am also appreciative of former board members who provided thorough feedback on ways for Scraplanta to improve our operations and governance structure.  To Scraplanta’s Reuse Specialists a.k.a. The Dream Team, Scraplanta’s three reuse specialists, Dana, Sarah, and Levi were the first folks that I ever had the honor to hire in my career. Years of management courses and HR articles could not have prepared me for the sheer joy that I have experienced from crafting a team of individuals who breathe so much positive energy into Scraplanta’s operations. Last, but never least to Scraplanta’s Volunteers, Every non-profit organization is started by a group of volunteers. These volunteers come together over a common cause and pour their hearts into this cause because they want to see it thrive. They work tirelessly for years just for the joy of sharing their mission with the world. Scraplanta’s volunteers kept us alive during our toughest days. Whenever Scraplanta gets a new volunteer, I welcome them with open arms because I am excited by the work they will achieve with Scraplanta. Even though they may only dedicate a few hours or a few days, their contributions add up.   Scraplanta’s volunteers have dedicated hundreds of hours to our community events, store renovations, and operations. There were many nights when I wondered how we were going to sort through piles of donations, and the next day volunteers would happily tackle boxes of fabric, yarn, paper, and so much more.  At the end of the day, I can not thank the Scraplanta community enough for their contributions to our wonderful organization. Without the helpful and wonderful minds of our artists, teachers, makers, volunteers, reuse specialists, board members, donors, cheerleaders, and everyone else, we would not have the wonderful space we would have today. I encourage everyone to keep Atlanta creative, and I can’t wait to see more beautifully sustainable artwork. Your Dedicated Executive Director, Jonelle E. Dawkins