Nonprofit 'Sure We Can' fundraises to keep doors open for canners

A nonprofit recycling center is facing eviction, but representatives from ‘Sure We Can’ are working on a solution.

News 12 Staff

Apr 23, 2022, 2:24 AM

Updated 894 days ago

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A nonprofit recycling center in Brooklyn is facing eviction, but representatives from ‘Sure We Can’ are working on a solution.  
Tens of millions of bottles and cans and decades later, ‘Sure We Can’ is continuing to provide a safe space to residents who not only collect cans to earn income, but to keep the Big Apple clean too.  
Due to increased rents, the center is facing potential eviction this year, a harsh reality that Executive Director Ryan Castalia says could be catastrophic for canners in the area.  
Through fundraising and after receiving a $6,000 grant from the state, things are looking up for the Sure We Can team and are hopeful they’ll be able to stay at their current location through the end of the year.  
Representatives at Sure We Can tell News 12 about 1 million cans are brought into the space monthly—an effort they say would be lost if those canners who live in the area were without this location.  
Canners like Josefa Marin, a 10-year veteran with the organization, says Sure We Can’s current location means more than just a little extra cash.