It’s good on paper

Lee Gaylord runs a project that epitomizes the green movement. A printer by trade, she recognizes that tons of paper are thrown away each day or recycled.

“Recycling is a good thing,” she said, “but currently recyclers are charging printers to pick up their waste stock. It occurred to me that much of that waste paper is premium, clean and reusable. It’s ideal for arts and crafts projects, if we could just get it into teachers’ hands.”

So, she’s started an organization to do just that. She calls her paper reclamation project the Kiddies’ Box.

The organization has a board of directors consisting of Janet Torline who is involved in arts and the environment; Dorothy Ley, a retired Post Falls High School special education teacher; Kathy Kuntz, a retired elementary school principal; and Lori Fitch, a friend of Gaylord’s who works in the printing trade.

Gaylord was once the owner of Action Printers, but from 2003 until August of this year, she worked as a production coordinator for area printers.

“I developed a collaborative relationship with most of the print shops in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Spokane, providing such services as die cutting, foil-stamping and embossing.

“When I talked with them about my idea, many agreed to save their waste paper for the Kiddies’ Box,” she said.

In fact, between June and mid-August, she and her helpers have collected, cut, sorted and boxed over 4,000 pounds of paper that she’s now distributing to area schools. Much of the paper is odd sized, derived from trimmings of posters, displays, cards and boxes. Each school is receiving a shipment of 225 to 250 pounds in a wide variety of colors, weights, textures and sizes.

Spokane Public Schools plans to send a truck to pick up its paper. Other deliveries are accomplished through the use of her friends’ donated trucks.

Gaylord plans to deliver to schools in Coeur d’Alene, Fernan, Post Falls, Rathdrum and Hayden, plus Head Start programs in North Idaho and a Summer-Plus program offered by the Coeur d’Alene School District.

“And, if we get enough paper, I’d like to provide it to church schools, home-schoolers and day care centers,” she said.

Crown Media & Printing in Post Falls is providing warehouse space and a classroom to the Kiddies’ Box, the latter to be used for a fundraising project. The money they raise will be used to apply for a federal tax-exempt status.

Gaylord said the Kiddies’ Box obtained Idaho tax-exempt status in July, through services donated by Wetzel, Wetzel and Holt law firm of Coeur d’Alene.

However, she said, it will cost at least $2,000 to obtain tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. To raise that money, she and a friend, Lynne Martin, are offering four-hour workshops to groups, teaching how to craft “colorful and creative holiday gift tags. We will provide the crafters with everything needed to introduce them to a fantastic new hobby,” Gaylord said.

Gaylord said groups of seven to nine people are the ideal size for the workshops, and the recommended donation is $25 per person with discounts for educators, students and retirees. Corporate sponsorships also are available. And, she said, the workshops would be an ideal customer appreciation event or youth group sponsorship opportunity.

Until now, Gaylord has relied on friends to pick up, sort and box the donated paper as well as deliver it. But her long-term plans include establishing intern positions, perhaps for disabled persons.

In addition to the Wetzel, Wetzel and Holt law firm, the organization’s corporate sponsors are Crown Media & Printing, Benjamin Gates Dentistry of Coeur d’Alene, Business Cards Tomorrow of Spokane, and Tom and Sue Eckhardt.

The following firms have donated paper: from Spokane, Business Cards Tomorrow, Johnston Printing, Lawton Printing, Lancer Ltd., Litho Art Printers, Pressworks and United Litho; from Coeur d’Alene, Action Printers and Allegra Printing & Imaging; and from Post Falls, Printed Impressions.