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Michael Gainer, 2007 Echoing Green Fellow, may be one of those people who sees art in ordinary objects. Add the "glass half full" mentality, and you have a new model for revitalizing a local community. Michael Gainer lives and works in Buffalo, where the city is plagued with 18,000 abandoned houses. While the city is planning to demolish these structures to the tune of 1,000 per year (for an estimated $100 million), Michael started Buffalo ReUse to provide an alternative to demolition practices. Instead, his group employs and works with young people to deconstruct these beautiful homes, whereby providing employment and community involvement for community members and offering inexpensive materials for sale for future structures. Michael was in the Buffalo News last week, highlighting the opening of his ReSource ("reuse retail destination"), but what really struck me is this incredible slideshow.

The slideshow details Buffalo ReUse's work with thirty schools to paint beautiful signs of peace over the muted boards used to signify a derelict house.