Reclaimers

Written By Andrew B Church

Callie and Brad Page strive to strengthen their community in Centralia, Mo., by reusing, rejuvenating and repurposing old building materials into new furniture and home goods at Reclaimed. Their whole purpose is guided by a message left by Audrey Hepburn: "People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone."

"We believe that everything and everybody is worth a second chance at life," Callie said. "Nothing should just be thrown out."

Brad salvages a lot of the materials he uses in his shop from old homes and barns, renewing a product life cycle that would have ended in landfill. "That's one of the things I love about it," Brad said. "It's a great feeling to be able to build something useful out of old barn wood and say, 'Here, this used to be part of your granddad's barn.' And people really love having that memory live on through the things we make."

Perhaps they are also guided by something else Audrey Hepburn, that is, "The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."

PRODUCED & EDITED by Andrew B Church
PRODUCTION ASST. Karen M. Church

Andrew B Church

Andrew earned his MA in Journalism at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 2018, and his BA in photojournalism at the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2009.

In 2010, Andrew joined the United States Navy. He served as a media correspondent aboard USS Wasp and was awarded the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal for his coverage of international shipboard operations in 2011. He was promoted to media director, developing large-scale, cross-platform multimedia products for global dissemination aboard USS Bonhomme Richard, USS Germantown, and USS New York. In 2013, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his coverage of joint naval operations in the South China Sea. He helped shape official Navy training of media personnel and reset the bar in multimedia design.

After his honorable discharge in 2014, Andrew continued his work in multimedia journalism by freelancing in photography, videography, graphic design, layout and design, digital animation, and multimedia production.

Andrew joined the Baylor Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media (JPRNM) department in 2017 and has been active in multiple programs focused on the development of teaching and academic leadership. He is interested in promoting the identity of small-town America, rebuilding local journalism, and producing mixed-media “micro-documentaries” to advance social cohesiveness and democratic action.

Andrew is CEO of Draft 13 Media, LLC, based in Columbia, Missouri, USA.

https://andrewbchurch.com
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In Full Bloom