New Signs for TILI

About the project

The Hastings-on-Hudson Take It or Leave It (TILI) Garage opened its doors in April, 2022 on the campus of Andrus on Hudson, a beautiful property that is home to a large senior care facility and two schools. Ella has been volunteering at TILI since it opened.

TILI quickly became a reliable resource for visitors looking to reduce waste by dropping off items they no longer need and to reduce new consumption by taking anything they can use. TILI serves all members of society, from those in desperate circumstances and refugee organizations to folks simply enjoying free access to used items.

Over the past two years, community engagement has grown from a few dozen to about 150 visitors each week. Patrons come from all over Westchester county, as well as from the Bronx and other parts of New York City.

Objective 

Two years into its operation, it became clear that there is a need for better directional and wayfinding signs, as well as instructional and logistical information. It is a critical part of the operation to offer visitors an efficient and effective way to find and liaise with the TILI crew. TILI's makeshift, original signage was due for an upgrade! 

Thanks to a grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund, we were able to create professionally produced signage for TILI for the first time.

Actions Taken

In August, we met with graphic designer and a beloved Hastings-on-Hudson resident, Sabine Reichert, of SabineART Studio, plus TILI founder and manager Gal Yaguri, to outline the wayfinding signage as well as incorporate the established TILI logo onto each sign. We designed each sign according to size. We finished the final designs and placed our order with a local sign-manufacturing company on September 2nd, with the goal of installing the signs on October 19th, to coincide with TILI's scheduled maintenance and renovation weekend. We have been in contact with a number of people, from our graphic designer to the sign printer, to ensure the project moves according to schedule. 

With the updated signage, the Garage will attract a greater audience through improved visibility. By creating a Code of Conduct sign, we will inform all visitors and volunteers of the purpose of the operation, how they can help keep it running smoothly and kindly. Other signs will offer information concerning operations during operating hours, as well as off hours. This is intended to reduce illegal “dumping,” or off-hour donations drop-offs.