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 BOBBY
Bobby came to BRING Recycling over 3 years ago as a community service worker. His supervisor, Allen Burton, recognized Bobby's skills and utilized him in every facet of running the recycling stations at the dump in Glenwood. As a disabled construction worker and welder he couldn't hold a permanent job, but he could use his extensive skills as a volunteer.
Bobby began work with BRING in glass and plastics recycling. As a machinist he was soon working on equipment when it broke down, including reworking a conveyor system to sort plastics, keeping BRING's trucks in shape and helping to install a new head gasket on the fork lift. Bobby fills in when workers are not present, helping customers sort and recycle their items, and making sure the system runs smoothly. Bobby is also a master gleaner and can spot and recycle saleable items that would potentially go in the dump. His supervisor, Allen Burton calls him a savior because he can do anything; repair and run equipment, build things and train new help. Bobby is often joined by his wife Darlene, also a valuable addition to the BRING Volunteer family.
Bobby volunteers up to 30 hours a week, depending on needs. After his community service obligations were fulfilled, he joined BRING as a volunteer and has been active for over 1 1/2 years now. His supervisor attributes over 1000 hours of volunteer work to his credit.
Bobby volunteers freely and willingly in his community. Whether it is helping a neighbor with a building project or fixing a friend's vehicle, Bobby is often there to lend a hand. He is well known for being available to help fellow citizens any way he can.
Bobby has worked hard all his life. He couldn't hold a steady job after his disability, yet wanted fulfillment and a means to help people and preserve our natural resources. He realizes that he has changed a lot in the last 20 years. He felt that in his youth he took a lot from society; so now he wants to repay his debt by helping out wherever he can. He believes that a volunteer is just as important as a paid employee and gets just as many benefits. When he goes to work, it feels like “coming home” and that BRING employees and workers are like family to him. He believes he has gained as much as he has given. He also believes deeply in recycling and wants to educate as many people as possible about the benefits of recycling. Money is not the issue for Bobby. According to Bobby, it's about making a difference... “Life is too short to waste or to be doing stupid stuff anymore”... Bobby thinks about the legacy he can leave his grandchildren and how he can make a difference in this world.
Bobby exemplifies BRING’s philosophy of Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Rethink. Bobby has a friendly, "can do" attitude that makes him a pleasure to work with. He's jumped in to help whenever there is a need. The work he does fixing machines and sorting materials is not glamorous, but it's enormously helpful. He is helping to Reduce waste, Recycle valuable materials, Reuse goods destined for the dump, and Rethink his role in society. He's one of the unsung heroes that make the world a better place.
LANI TIMM
Lani Timm is a new volunteer in BRING’s administrative offices. She helps the staff function better by assisting with phone answering, filing, compiling information and helping with the multiple tasks a busy office requires. Lani worked for 17 years in office managing at East Coast Herbal Products manufacturing plant. She held various jobs and acquired many skills that she is able to offer BRING. BRING is indeed fortunate to have a volunteer of her caliber helping out.
Lani came to Oregon, via Crow, roaming as a child on the land her grandparent’s cattle ranch. She attended and graduated from the U of O and enjoys gardening and crafts. In the 1980s she spent 4 years in Thailand and the Sudan working with refugee programs. In Thailand, where there was plenty of waste, but also less emphasis on materialism, Lani witnessed an effort to reduce and dispose of materials properly.
Lani wants to do something useful until she finds employment, so when she noticed the Register-Guard article asking for volunteers at BRING, she stepped up to the plate and offered to help office personnel. She is a long-time recycler and proponent of what BRING stands for. Lani is grateful for the opportunity to recycle goods and believes that if everyone would take more responsibility for what they produce and were aware of the effects of what they use on the environment, we could each, in our own way, make a significant difference.
Darlene makes a difference at BRING!
Darlene Wilcox started working at BRING as a community service worker. After over 400 hours of work, she transitioned into volunteer work at the dump in Glenwood. Darlene has become a strong member of the volunteer team led by Allen Burton and is treated by BRING staff at the dump as family. Darlene and her husband Bobby (also a volunteer) regularly get together socially with BRING employee and supervisor Allen Burton and know they can rely on Allen when they need help.
Darlene loves working at BRING. She believes in recycling and giving back to the community. She wants her grandchildren to inherit a healthy environment, and recognizes that recycling whenever possible is one of the ways in which we can make a difference. With efforts like hers, our country can remain beautiful longer as we conserve natural resources. Darlene promotes recycling whenever possible.
Darlene knows she belongs at BRING and enjoys working with Bobby, an 18-year acquaintance and husband of three years. Darlene accredits Bobby with being the best man in the whole world. Now, what better could anyone ask for?
 LORRAINE TETER — a BRING volunteer extraordinare
Lorraine Teter, a long time volunteer at BRING’s recycling station and mother of 2 grown boys has much to be thankful for. Lorraine has had her share of challenges, starting with an alcohol and drug problem that grew into an addiction to meth—a challenge particularly hard to break. Lorraine realized that with the help of her mother, having a deep need within her heart and working hard, she could break her addiction and move on with her life. With her mother’s constant support, she has been clean for over 14 weeks, and plans to stay that way. Lorraine’s mother has always been there for her, and now, as she faces retirement, Lorraine wants to start paying her back for all she’s done for her.
Lorraine started working at BRING to pay off over 200 hours of community service. She found BRING to be a safe haven-giving her work she knew well how to do, and skills she could use at a job. Lorraine has been a long time recycler—having been a dumpster diver from her youth, recycling bottles and cans and fixing and selling old objects she found. She was able to make enough money to support herself and recognized the need to continue to recycle whenever possible, rather than buying new. Lorraine wisely states that before we know it, our natural resources will be depleted, and once they’re gone, they’re gone… She hopes that people will, like herself, learn to appreciate all that we have… This is a message Lorraine spreads through her volunteer work at BRING.
Lorraine’s long term goals are to attend Lane Community College and to get her contractor’s license so that she can be self employed as a contractor and an electrician. As a jack-of-all-trades, Lorraine is well equipped to follow through with her goals and to be successful. Lorraine knows that she cannot change the past, but she can change the future. She has “woken up and is smelling the roses”—enjoying her life and taking care of the people who took care of her. Lorraine knows life’s moments are too precious to waste-and makes a point of living each day fully. She is an example of what determination and hard work can accomplish. BRING is especially grateful for the countless hours Lorraine has donated to the cause of saving our planet.
 HANNAH SLATER
“I would like to help preserve wild places” states Hannah Slater, from Bellingham Washington. She hopes that there will remain wilderness areas where she can go hiking and not see another person. Wild places are important to Hannah, an environmental studies major and freshman at the University of Oregon. Hannah is an experienced volunteer, having worked with Habitat for Humanity in high school and now a volunteer at BRING Recycling in Eugene. She embodies her beliefs by giving her time freely to an organization that exemplifies much of what she believes-promoting sustainability, rethinking buying habits, promoting reuse of materials, composting and doing whatever one can to practice sustainability. Over Christmas break, Hannah convinced her dad that composting and recycling were preferable to other means of disposal and encourages others to think about how little things can add up. Hannah wisely notes “It doesn’t have to be a huge time consuming effort to make a difference.”
 KAROLINA ANDERSON
Karolina Anderson has been a BRING customer for many years. She is an original recycler, having learned and practiced the art of conserving when she worked as an assistant teacher on a Navaho reservation in New Mexico. She taught 3rd grade-the age of awareness and learned from her native Americans the value of reuse, recycling, and protecting the earth’s dignity.
At the age of 43 she adopted a child. Wanting to raise her son in a green environment, she realized Oregon was the perfect place. Karolina made her home in Ashland so that her son could be in a university town, and be exposed to open minded and creative influences. When her son entered the University of Oregon, Karolina moved to Eugene and joined a cooperative housing project on Blair street. Karolina is a free thinker and has always made choices many wouldn’t dream of, living an open life and refusing to follow a narrow path.
Karolina is passionate about BRING and it’s mission because she sees the long term loss of throwing away our history. Items that others call primitives, or that may be rusty, unwanted or trash are seen as treasures to Karolina. She decided to take a role in preserving our history in her own way-a way that gives her great pleasure, a purpose, and an outlet for her abundant creativity. She makes amazing things…her home and garden are an archeological museum that visitors wander through in wonder.
Karolina has an eye for old and reusable items and attends antique shows regularly. She used to own an antique store in Cottage Grove, but now purchases items to be saved or to recreate new crafts and displays from what she gets….even the lowliest ribbon often becoming a beautiful object. People are anxious to purchase her creations, allowing Karolina a bit of extra income and an opportunity to make ends meet through recycling other people’s castoffs.
Karolina is adamant that we take responsibility for leaving some heritage for those who come after us to enjoy and learn from. She worries that we are losing so much to the dump where it will disappear from our history.
Karolina would like to be remembered as one who has compassion towards the earth and is kind to the environment. She harbors a wish for the earth’s renewal and safety of spirit and hopes her body’s ashes will feed flowers in a garden.
Karolina is a beautiful, healthy individual who sets a compelling example of what is possible for people with passion. She is always out creating and has no time for sadness or sickness. She has lived the life of a queenly and spirited woman, a voyeur who was happy and blessed, who left wealth and an unfulfilling marriage to seek adventure and knowledge of self. She certainly is one to be reckoned with as she creates a legacy for the many whom her kindnesses touch.
DIANA BRESSLER
How can a newcomer get involved in doing something worthwhile, meet interesting people and make friends? When she moved to Eugene this past September, Dianna Bressler had that question. She was researching on the internet one day, came across a volunteer database website and saw that BRING Recycling was seeking volunteers. A phone call put her in touch with the BRING Volunteer Coordinator, who quickly recognized Dianna’s unique talents and took advantage of her offer to help. So Dianna was able to get involved in doing something worthwhile, meet interesting people and make friends right here in Eugene!
She moved from Eastern Washington to Eugene to be near her son, Joe, after she was widowed. Her late husband saw to it that she did not need to earn a paycheck and, as a result, she was left with free time on her hands. She decided to share her skills and time with local non-profit organizations. She rarely says no to a request and is always ready to help out.
Since Dianna joined Friends of BRING, she has become an integral part of the BRING volunteer community—not only training for and working as a gallery docent at art openings but giving tours as a BRING ambassador and helping with the BRING volunteer database and computer training. Dianna can do most anything! She currently volunteers on behalf of BRING at Looking Glass School leading recycled art project classes with a large group of students. In addition, you will find her volunteering at the HULT Center for the Arts as an usher, on the board with Ballet Fantastique and helping set-up for the Eugene Symphony Gala.
Dianna’s first office job was as a claim examiner trainee for a medical insurance company. There was much to learn in that position, so she felt it was important to study diligently in order to perform well at her job. Within six months she was promoted to assistant supervisor. She realized she could make progress despite her initial lack of experience and saw that believing in herself and trusting her own abilities would serve her well. She continued her advance within the company until they closed their local offices.
Dianna’s philosophy is to be kind, do no harm, listen to her inner voice and do what’s right. But don’t be fooled into thinking this lady is some kind of saint. Far from it! She enjoys new adventures and a good laugh with family and friends, near and far. Traveling, gardening, cooking and fixing up her new home are favorite activities whenever she’s not in a volunteer project. She hasn’t golfed in Eugene yet but would love to find a fun group to join for a relaxing round.
In order to help them keep a fresh, childlike innocence for as along as possible, Dianna believes that children can be better world citizens if their parents try to shield them from the harsher aspects of life. As adulthood approaches finding and maintaining a good sense of humor, asking questions, thinking for yourself and doing good works whenever possible are important components to a well rounded and fulfilled life. Many of us would be better off if we embraced Dianna’s philosophy of life.
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Charlie Fleishman is BRING's nominee for Volunteer of the Month (and) Volunteer of the Year. Charlie has given valuable time as webmaster to BRING for seven years. He originally volunteered for BRING at its old location at Broadway and Lincoln… Read more…
Bobby came to BRING Recycling over 3 years ago as a community service worker. His supervisor, Allen Burton, recognized Bobby's skills and utilized him in every facet of running the recycling stations at the dump in Glenwood. Read more…
Lani Timm is a new volunteer in BRING’s administrative offices. She helps the staff function better by assisting with phone answering, filing, compiling information and helping with the multiple tasks a busy office requires. Read more…
Darlene Wilcox started working at BRING as a community service worker. After over 400 hours of work, she transitioned into volunteer work at the dump in Glenwood. Read more…
Lorraine Teter, a long time volunteer at BRING’s recycling station and mother of 2 grown boys has much to be thankful for. Lorraine has had her share of challenges… Read more…
Hannah Slater –“I would like to help preserve wild places” states Hannah Slater, from Bellingham Washington. She hopes that there will remain wilderness areas where she can go hiking and not see another person.” Read more…
Karolina Anderson has been a BRING customer for many years. She is an original recycler, having learned and practiced the art of conserving when she worked as an assistant teacher on a Navaho reservation in New Mexico. Read more...
Phyllis Weare volunteers at BRING taking care of the thousands of sedums that will be transplanted to the living roof this summer. She is a Master Recycler and is planning on attending Master Gardener’s classes in the fall. Phyllis’s activities includes church, book studies, Spanish lessons and doing work that will leave the world a better place. BRING is indeed fortunate to have her help.
Dianna Bressler. How can a newcomer get involved in doing something worthwhile, meet interesting people and make friends? When she moved to Eugene this past September, Dianna Bressler had that question. She was researching on the internet one day, came across a volunteer database website and saw that BRING Recycling was seeking volunteers. Read more...