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helwenGetting it together for Ashfield Fall Festival (happening this Saturday and Sunday). Won't have some things, will have others. Had a few hiccups with the PC and printer but L helped me with fixing and/or creating work-arounds, yay!
Need to finish one more scarf by Sat. It's half done so I should be able to finish and wash it.
***
Meeting Tues night went well. Lots of people there interested in seeing what ideas there were for helping people winterize and/or deal with heating for the winter.
- Weatherization workshop next Thursday, where people will learn some weatherizing skills and what to look for at people's homes. Follow-up is that when someone wants help with doing these things at their homes, there will be more people who can come over and help do it.
- Raffle starting at the Fall Festival for various items like restaurant certificates, a cord of wood, quilts, etc. I donated one of my scarves. Raffle culminates in December and the proceeds will go toward buying weatherizing supplies, etc.
- No expectation that we could raise enough money to help pay heating bills, but trying to get the word out to people to apply for LIHEAP. Two women there had gotten training in helping people fill out the forms and another wanted to learn -- the forms aren't that difficult but the help is needed to ensure proper documentation accompanies the forms.
- Fellow from Triads and some other folks spoke on aid available to seniors, including checking in on those who wish it. The police chief said the police are often the point of contact for people needing help and they coordinate with Triads and others, then he had to go into the Health Services meeting, where some of the concerns about members of the community getting heat were also being discussed. We should be getting some funding for supplies as well. One of the senior craft classes coming up will be making draft-stoppers. Every bit helps!
- Will also be articles published in the paper, and a collection spot for warm clothing will be arranged. Someone suggested one of the churches or the Food Pantry, but it may also end up being in Town Hall. I'll finally have a new home for a box of fleece hats and mittens I have leftover from when I used to make them for sale!
- We discussed how some folks may feel awkward about getting help, especially if they don't have the money to pay for materials (pride, etc.) -- thoughts were that they can maybe help others in other ways, and/or remind them that by reducing the amount of energy they're using to heat their homes, they're helping all of us to save the environment, and to save more fuel for the future.
- We signed the contact list so we should be in the loop for future meetings, and signed up for the weatherizing team as well.
***
Three years ago Rob Hopkins and some interested folks started an experiment in Totnes in the UK -- A Transition Town. Today there are 85 places working toward transitioning to being low-energy, more self-sufficient, reducing their carbon footprint, with an eye to being prepared for peak oil as well as helping the world's climate and environment. There are ~700 other places indicating interest in learning about being Transition Towns or even Cities.
Future Proofers is an excellent article on how larger communities are seeing what they can do to help themselves be ready for the future, including roof-top gardening in Brixton (a London borough).
Although we don't have the currency idea around here, I do have some hope for our area, with the CSAs and farmers markets, Northampton's plans for becoming more sustainable, and now our own town's work to help folks here. This new group is not just talking about help for this winter but in future years as well.
***
And speaking of planning for the future, Kew Gardens is working with African healers to create gardens with the 30 most-used healing herbs, so that the herbs in the wild won't be completely decimated. Use of herbal medicines is on the rise and some herbal populations are getting hard hit -- bad for them and bad for the people who will be counting on them down the line. Part of the Breathing Planet Programme, which is also working in places all around the world on conservation and reducing CO2 emissions (1/5 comes from deforestation):
Natural Healing - Kew Gardens and the Breathing Planet Programme
Article mentions something called the Eden Project over in Cornwall, will have to look that up later!
Exciting work being done!
Need to finish one more scarf by Sat. It's half done so I should be able to finish and wash it.
***
Meeting Tues night went well. Lots of people there interested in seeing what ideas there were for helping people winterize and/or deal with heating for the winter.
- Weatherization workshop next Thursday, where people will learn some weatherizing skills and what to look for at people's homes. Follow-up is that when someone wants help with doing these things at their homes, there will be more people who can come over and help do it.
- Raffle starting at the Fall Festival for various items like restaurant certificates, a cord of wood, quilts, etc. I donated one of my scarves. Raffle culminates in December and the proceeds will go toward buying weatherizing supplies, etc.
- No expectation that we could raise enough money to help pay heating bills, but trying to get the word out to people to apply for LIHEAP. Two women there had gotten training in helping people fill out the forms and another wanted to learn -- the forms aren't that difficult but the help is needed to ensure proper documentation accompanies the forms.
- Fellow from Triads and some other folks spoke on aid available to seniors, including checking in on those who wish it. The police chief said the police are often the point of contact for people needing help and they coordinate with Triads and others, then he had to go into the Health Services meeting, where some of the concerns about members of the community getting heat were also being discussed. We should be getting some funding for supplies as well. One of the senior craft classes coming up will be making draft-stoppers. Every bit helps!
- Will also be articles published in the paper, and a collection spot for warm clothing will be arranged. Someone suggested one of the churches or the Food Pantry, but it may also end up being in Town Hall. I'll finally have a new home for a box of fleece hats and mittens I have leftover from when I used to make them for sale!
- We discussed how some folks may feel awkward about getting help, especially if they don't have the money to pay for materials (pride, etc.) -- thoughts were that they can maybe help others in other ways, and/or remind them that by reducing the amount of energy they're using to heat their homes, they're helping all of us to save the environment, and to save more fuel for the future.
- We signed the contact list so we should be in the loop for future meetings, and signed up for the weatherizing team as well.
***
Three years ago Rob Hopkins and some interested folks started an experiment in Totnes in the UK -- A Transition Town. Today there are 85 places working toward transitioning to being low-energy, more self-sufficient, reducing their carbon footprint, with an eye to being prepared for peak oil as well as helping the world's climate and environment. There are ~700 other places indicating interest in learning about being Transition Towns or even Cities.
Future Proofers is an excellent article on how larger communities are seeing what they can do to help themselves be ready for the future, including roof-top gardening in Brixton (a London borough).
Although we don't have the currency idea around here, I do have some hope for our area, with the CSAs and farmers markets, Northampton's plans for becoming more sustainable, and now our own town's work to help folks here. This new group is not just talking about help for this winter but in future years as well.
***
And speaking of planning for the future, Kew Gardens is working with African healers to create gardens with the 30 most-used healing herbs, so that the herbs in the wild won't be completely decimated. Use of herbal medicines is on the rise and some herbal populations are getting hard hit -- bad for them and bad for the people who will be counting on them down the line. Part of the Breathing Planet Programme, which is also working in places all around the world on conservation and reducing CO2 emissions (1/5 comes from deforestation):
Natural Healing - Kew Gardens and the Breathing Planet Programme
Article mentions something called the Eden Project over in Cornwall, will have to look that up later!
Exciting work being done!
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permission?
Date: 2008-10-09 05:02 pm (UTC)Re: permission?
Date: 2008-10-09 06:04 pm (UTC)Re: permission?
Date: 2008-10-09 07:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-09 06:21 pm (UTC)I absolutely admire your commitments to the people and the planet. THANK you.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-09 07:43 pm (UTC)*blush* Welcome, I hope I'm doing helpful things. I don't think I'm any more special or good at this than anyone else though! It's going to take all of us, each doing our bit :)
no subject
Date: 2008-10-09 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-09 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-10 09:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-11 03:42 am (UTC)But even if you put Ashfield it should still get here - it will just take longer because of re-direction.