Comments on: Community Building, One Bite at a Time http://civileats.com/2009/10/06/community-building-one-bit-at-a-time/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:45:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: sally oakley http://civileats.com/2009/10/06/community-building-one-bit-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4158 sally oakley Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:24:46 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5191#comment-4158 amber, keep the faith. i, too, have those lofty goals; my community is just as set in their ways as well. one day you will be an elder and know whence come their thoughts. i love the idea of the journal for potluck foods. long ago, back in my 20s, i went dancing regularly at an old schoolhouse in northern virginia. the pot-lucks were incredible and community feeling was strong. keep the faith! amber, keep the faith. i, too, have those lofty goals; my community is just as set in their ways as well. one day you will be an elder and know whence come their thoughts. i love the idea of the journal for potluck foods. long ago, back in my 20s, i went dancing regularly at an old schoolhouse in northern virginia. the pot-lucks were incredible and community feeling was strong. keep the faith!

]]> By: Sarah http://civileats.com/2009/10/06/community-building-one-bit-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4157 Sarah Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:58:31 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=5191#comment-4157 This is a great story! I love hearing about community building and potlucks. Back home the Swedish Society does a midsummer picnic where everyone brings their own picnic basket with tablecloths and plates and utensils. Most people still bring disposables of some kind. My family usually brought paper plates and reusable plastic cutlery. That might be an even less expensive option for you guys! I certainly can believe that they purchase everything cheap for the event. But you have lemon trees! Homemade lemonade, lemon shakeups, lemon fizzes, think of the possibilities! Maybe you could ask other people to help donate things from the garden for burger toppings and salad? And then with the money saved on that, convince the board to buy grass-fed beef? I've worked in various non-profits with older boards before and the key to convincing them is starting small and talking about how it will save money and/or bring in donations. They don't like ideas that take a lot of volunteer effort because they think that they'll end up doing it and they're usually right. Again, fantastic article and good luck with making some changes next year! This is a great story! I love hearing about community building and potlucks. Back home the Swedish Society does a midsummer picnic where everyone brings their own picnic basket with tablecloths and plates and utensils. Most people still bring disposables of some kind. My family usually brought paper plates and reusable plastic cutlery. That might be an even less expensive option for you guys!

I certainly can believe that they purchase everything cheap for the event. But you have lemon trees! Homemade lemonade, lemon shakeups, lemon fizzes, think of the possibilities! Maybe you could ask other people to help donate things from the garden for burger toppings and salad? And then with the money saved on that, convince the board to buy grass-fed beef?

I’ve worked in various non-profits with older boards before and the key to convincing them is starting small and talking about how it will save money and/or bring in donations. They don’t like ideas that take a lot of volunteer effort because they think that they’ll end up doing it and they’re usually right.

Again, fantastic article and good luck with making some changes next year!

]]>