I don't want to be completely self-centered and have my bucket list be solely about me me me, so here's the list that involves helping others.
I've actually had the opportunity to benefit from one when my friend Sarah took me to a patch of farmland in rural Wisconsin where her church had a ginormous garden. Everything was free for the taking. Believe me, I took!
I think many people steer clear of fresh produce because they find it intimidating and/or boring to manipulate in the kitchen.
Also, fresh produce can be expensive if you don't have the space to have your own garden.
To remedy that, I'd also want to offer free "classes" or tutorials whereby people could learn how to make the fruit and veggies into meals that their entire family could enjoy, as well as how to freeze/can/pickle the produce to use in the colder months.
I think to get the ball rollin' on this, I'd start with the SLOWFOOD organization.
Numero dos:
When I lived in Colorado there was a tiny building in town, probably 16x20 in size, called
The Clothes Closet.
It was sort of like a Goodwill, Value Village, and St.Vincent's wrapped into one, except EVERYTHING WAS FREE.
It wasn't crappy stuff either. Of course the volunteers had to sort through the donations and weed out all the unsuitable items, but there was some really awesome stuff.
I even found NEW items there.
Also, it wasn't like you had to "qualify" to be able to shop there and have some sort of stigma attached to going there. It was open to anyone and everyone, and anyone and everyone would "shop" there!
I miss that place.
Lastly, but certainly not finitely, I would relish the opportunity to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity.
Numero uno:
I'd love to either spearhead or simply be a part of organizing a FREE COMMUNITY GARDEN.I've actually had the opportunity to benefit from one when my friend Sarah took me to a patch of farmland in rural Wisconsin where her church had a ginormous garden. Everything was free for the taking. Believe me, I took!
Also, fresh produce can be expensive if you don't have the space to have your own garden.
I think to get the ball rollin' on this, I'd start with the SLOWFOOD organization.
Numero dos:
When I lived in Colorado there was a tiny building in town, probably 16x20 in size, called
The Clothes Closet.
It was sort of like a Goodwill, Value Village, and St.Vincent's wrapped into one, except EVERYTHING WAS FREE.
It wasn't crappy stuff either. Of course the volunteers had to sort through the donations and weed out all the unsuitable items, but there was some really awesome stuff.
I even found NEW items there.
I miss that place.
Lastly, but certainly not finitely, I would relish the opportunity to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity.
I'm not gettin' any younger, so I sense I should really start to hunker down and dig my heels into one of these projects ASAP. No time like the present, eh? It's the only time we're guaranteed.
Have you ever been involved in any projects like these? What was your experience? What do you suggest?
Have you ever been involved in any projects like these? What was your experience? What do you suggest?
I love that closet idea! A friend of mine used to do something similar at work every year in the spring. She'd invite everyone to bring in their unwanted clothes, and we'd all rifle through them and take whatever we wanted, and then everything left over was donated. It was so much fun! I love the idea of extending that beyond friends and into the community at large. It kind of makes me think of a restaurant that I heard about on the radio...I don't remember where/what, but it was open to the community. Everyone could eat there, and just pay what they wanted - or nothing at all. The person being interviewed said that the restaurant was turning a profit similar to what they'd expect if things were priced normally - some people didn't pay, some people paid double the worth, and everyone left with a smile on their face. I love the concept!
ReplyDeleteHaven't been involved in any projects like these. I'm always thinking -- if I were rich or if I had more money, I'd do "xyz."
ReplyDeleteDon't ask me why I resort to this kind of thinking because, obviously, you don't need a huge amount of money to help people...
WOW!! this is awesome girl!! I saw your comment- praying for you with whatever is going on! Your faith is beautiful. God's glory is best seen in our moments of weakness. Thank you for being such an encouragement to me! Love you, sista!
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