Sunny days

This fall, Spokane-area residents can purchase natural cleaning products, register for classes on organic farming, research energy-efficient heating and cooling units, and test out the comfort of an organic mattress — all under one roof. And who knows? While browsing these green living and sustainable building options available at Sun People Dry Goods, shoppers might even decide to invest in something less conventional, such as a solar oven or composting toilet. At least that’s the hope of Juliet Sinisterra, general manager and co-owner of the soon-to-open store that is aiming to become Spokane’s one-stop resource for eco-friendly products and information. With a high-traffic location in downtown Spokane, on the corner of Second Avenue and Browne Street, shoppers will soon be able to peruse nearly 4,000 square feet of ecological products — from rain barrels to organic bedding and recycled toys to solar backpacks. “We’re offering a lot of unique items that no one else in town carries,” said Sinisterra. “Around 60 to 70 percent of the products we offer can’t be purchased in Spokane today. We carefully research our vendors and are supporting local and regional companies as much as possible by carrying their products.” The idea for Sun People has been a work in progress for Sinisterra since 2004, when the former architect became interested in green building and sustainability. This new-found passion for sustainable living quickly turned into a full-time job. Sinisterra began writing a sustainable living column for a local magazine and got involved with Spokane’s budding green community. She has served on Mayor Mary Verner’s sustainability task force and helped write Spokane’s Sustainability Action Plan, which addresses climate mitigation, climate adaptation and energy security. Most recently Sinisterra was services director at Community-Minded Enterprises, a Spokane-based nonprofit whose goal is to advance a universal model for successful, sustainable communities. It was these inspirations, countless hours of research and work and the investment of five financial partners that transformed Sinisterra’s Sun People dream into brick-and-mortar reality. Construction is under way and soon green products will be lining the store’s salvaged-lumber shelves. “There’s a story behind almost every product we sell at Sun People, and a reason why we’re selling it,” said Sinisterra. “We’re not just selling it to make money, we’re selling it because we want to support what the supplier is doing, the type of living they promote and the positive impact the product has on the earth.” Sun People has a soft opening scheduled for late October, with a grand opening planned for later this fall. Sinisterra is leery of positioning Sun People as a “green” store, because for her it’s less about pushing an agenda and more about getting people back to living more simply and more in tune with their communities. “We want to create change in the community without twisting people’s arms and to make Green living something that’s interesting and fun and creative,” said Sinisterra. “We want green to become a way that people want to live, not a way they are forced to live.” In addition to selling green and sustainable products, Sun People offers workshops that provide training for items they sell, as well as general workshops on topics like canning food, beekeeping, winemaking and organic gardening. Most workshops will take place on Saturdays and will require a small fee to cover supplies and the instructor’s time. Sinisterra believes Sun People is the first shop of its kind in the Inland Northwest. She says Portland and Seattle have boutique stores that cater to sustainable living and carry some of the items found at Sun People, but that none of these specialized shops have the overall scope of Sun People. This pioneering aspect excites Sinisterra and her investors, who feel that Spokane is often at the forefront of the region’s move toward energy-efficiency and sustainable living, though it’s rarely recognized as a leader. “I’m always kind of amazed by Spokane,” said Sinisterra. “Things that happen here are often ahead of the curve in Seattle. The people here that are concerned about green living and sustainability are becoming stronger and more cohesive as a community. I think that slowly the idea of being green is becoming more accepted.” Sinisterra wants Sun People to become a community hub for green living and sustainability and hopes to create activists out of consumers. When the doors open later this fall, she’ll find out just how many area residents are ready to become Sun People.