Community
So I came up with an idea today, it has been sort of festering in my head for awhile and it just blossomed when I was on facebook a bit ago... facebook... hehe.. who would have thought I'd find a use for it other than to waste time?
So I think community has died, I've thought this for a VERY long time, I also think that it is what helped stay at home mom's stay sane, families stay on top of their life styles and individuals use their gifts in the best possible ways! But people are so consumed with their own lives, staying afloat of their bills, and keeping their own kids healthy, and safe, as well as occupied, that we just don't have time for community like people used to, when they HAD to rely on others to function properly and successfully. We are all independent now, and it is what we've been striving for. So are we happy?
I learned when I was in new Zealand Master's commission that there are three types of dependency.
1. Independent, needing nothing from anyone, getting all you need from yourself
2. Dependent, needing everyone else to supply your needs and not doing anything for yourself, this is best described as infancy, or paralisis, though some people have neither of these excuses and stilly rely heavily on others for things they could do for themselves.
3. Codependent, where each person contributes to the whole by doing a small portion of what could be done, and not taking on the whole task alone, and not depending entiely on others to do it without you.
Codependency in my mind is a utopia, it is something that I will dream of but never see the reality. But I'm doing my part to contribute to building a community of people that rely on each other, are not afraid to ask for help, and who will swallow their pride and ask for their needs to be met when they are needed, and help others when they have the ability.
I've done this in two ways, one of which you will probably already have been added to if I have you as a friend on facebook, and the other that you can request to be added to once you learn about it and if you are interested.
The first way... "See a need, Fill a need"
I stole this line from "Robots" a cartoon about a robot that invents stuff.
The basic idea is that people in San Diego will be added to this group via facebook, and if they have a need they can post it for all the others to see, and hopefully someone will see that need and have the means to fill it.
Example: I have a newborn daughter who at the moment does not have, or need a dresser, but in a few weeks I will most likely need one for her, so at that time I may post something like "Does anyone have a solid wood dresser that will hold a changing pad (for changing diapers) on the top, I need one for Sapphira's (my infant) bedroom"
Once it is posted So'n'so might see that post and think to themselves "hey I do have a dresser I really want to get rid of but I don't have any way to get it to them." They would then answer me saying "yes, I have a 5 drawer solid wood dresser, you're welcome to have it if you have a way to transport it."
Simple as that... and the need doesn't have to be material, it might be that you are moving house, or that you just had surgery and need help with regular house hold chores, or that you just had a baby and would like help with the older kids.. the needs can go on and on and you can just post them and see God's people come together and fill those needs without ever paying a dime for the help.
I think this is the true essense of a good community!
The second way is "San Diego Food share"
This is a more exclusive group because I'm asking people to share their specific food needs and pay for them... but the goal is that by buying things in bulk we can save money.
I'm still working out some of the kinks in this one, but so far I'm thinking that we will share our regular menu's and needs like toilet paper, and other things, then we will make a combined list of food and household items that need to be bought, then break the list up into locations, and then each person will have a list of things to buy from one store rather than several, and we'd all meet on a specific date and split up the items, each family getting what they need. And then we'd also split the bill, according to what each family is taking. I think I'm going to break it up into units, and then say a family of 4 would get so many units, but a family of 2 would get a smaller number of units and then the cost would be more accurate, but I'm still working on how to do that so I'm not really sure what way will work best.
I also think it would be fun and helpful to create frozen meals... so say we all get together on the 15th of the month split up the groceries and then make a HUGE amount of lasangna in several disposable dishes and then each family takes home there own amount and puts it in the freezer until a day when they feel like having lasanga... It sounds like a FABULOUS way to get together with other people and have some fun and save some money at the same time... That is what I think anyway!
I'm so excited to see these things in practice! I hope that they work out really well! I hope that we can do it! I hope that it helps others, and reduces the cost of living in this incredibly expensive city... and I hope that it blesses at least one other person.
Let me know if your interested in joining or have questions about it, or even some ideas to help it along, I'm totally interested in your ideas!
Samantha