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Introduction
WabiSabi is a Moab based nonprofit organization that exists to support the health and wealth of the Native community, Hispanic community, low-income people, individuals, and our nonprofit partners. To accomplish our goals, we rely on our friends, volunteers, partners, and contributors.
The support WabiSabi provides our community comes in several forms – our thrift shop that recycles materials that could potentially be deposited in the landfill, educational outreach to the public about local nonprofits, financial contributions to local nonprofits, community workshops that emphasize community self-sustainability, material contributions to in-need communities, and our special projects fund that links innovative project ideas with appropriate local nonprofits.
WabiSabi helps our community by inspiring individuals to come together and create a healthy place where our children will thrive, nature will be cared for and protected, cultural diversity will be preserved, and those in need will have the resources and basic human rights they deserve. With your help, we can create a community that will outlive us all – a place we can truly call home.
WabiSabi’s History
By Sarah Bauman, Co-Founder
WabiSabi originated from a desire to create a thrift store that would serve as a community center for people to learn about other nonprofits and brainstorm about creative ways to make the world a better place. It was also intended to be empower individuals to actively support their community by both donating goods and help their favorite non-profit with votes for award distributions.
Since its inception in May of 2002, the community of Moab, Utah has continued to breathe life into WabiSabi – donating goods, purchasing goods, and volunteering time energy and resources to enable WabiSabi to flourish and become the very thing it was meant to be – a community life-force.
WabiSabi has many different English translations, but the definitions that speak to us are the beauty of imperfection and transcending ways of looking at things. WabiSabi’s goal is to connect throughout our unique community and use our collective power to transcend ordinary mindsets and create positive change. Another of WabiSabi's goals is to empower all of our citizens to recognize each person's strengths and value to our community. We opened our doors on June 3rd 2002. After months of drought, it poured down rain that day. I considered that to be a very good sign.
In our first year of business we received tremendous community support and were able to award $5,000 to local nonprofits. In addition we began transporting material goods to the Navajo Nation with the help of Castleland, Resource, Conservation and Development (CRCD). In the spring of 2003 WabiSabi kicked off its community workshop series with an Introduction to Alternative Building Workshop. Again, the response from the community was overwhelmingly positive. Over 30 people attended the workshop and presenters used slides, photos, books and hands-on activities to demonstrate different building techniques. Since then we have sponsored numerous workshops including Alternative Building II, Financial Planning, Feng Shui, Native Plant Identification, Bike Repair I and II, Keeping Cool in Moab (Energy Efficiency), Xeriscaping, and Rag Rug Making.
In June of 2003 WabiSabi received an award from the Department of Environmental Quality for our community involvement in helping reduce pollution and promote recycling.
In November of 2003 we accepted our first Make a Difference in Moab Fund applications. The Make of Difference in Moab is a special projects fund designed to enable individuals to make a difference in our community by linking their project ideas with appropriate nonprofit organizations.
Since opening in 2002, WabiSabi has provided needed materials for Red Rock Elementary School, the Moab Community School, Humane Society, Paradox School, Meals on Wheels, Seekhaven, Moab Repertory Theatre, and the Department of Workforce Services. We have awarded over $20,000 to local nonprofits and are enabling individuals with small dreams to have a big impact on our community through the Make a Difference in Moab fund. WabiSabi is one of the founding organizations responsible for establishing the new Teen Center that will open its doors in March of 2006. We have developed strong alliances with our nonprofit partners as well as local businesses that help transport donations to the Navajo Nation and other distribution centers.
In the spring of 2005 WabiSabi was awarded the Nonprofit Volunteer Program of the Year by the Utah Commission on Volunteers. In the fall of 2005, WabiSabi organized a Recycled Building Supplies wing, modeled after Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit, WabiSabi assisted in a local drive to raise funds and collect donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and transport items to the refugees residing in Salt Lake City.
Although WabiSabi has come a long way, we plan on going much further. WabiSabi is excited about the future and is looking forward to evolving based on the needs of our community, readjusting our vision to what is happening in our environment and continuing to serve those in-need through the thrift stores, workshops, educational outreach, financial and material aid.
Part of our dream is to see WabiSabi modeled in other rural communities. Ideally these will be communities where resources may be limited, but where strong community partnership exists with individuals committed to fostering a healthy environment and a positive future.
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About Our Name
The name "WabiSabi" comes from the combined Japanese ideas of austere refinement and quiet simplicity. It is the WabiSabi belief that beauty lies in the imperfection that surrounds us, that new is not necessarily nicer, and that our discards could very well be our salvation.
 Wabi - austere refinement - A frame of mind in which spiritual richness can be found in the simple and tranquil. This mentality forms an important basis of the traditional tea ceremony.
 Sabi - quiet simplicity - A poetic ideal fostered by Basho in haiku in which profound meaning can be found in the detached and the dispassionate. Evocations of sabi in paintings are found in scenes of desolation.
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