I am filling out my schedule of events, and it will soon be getting very busy. April is the start of the Art Garage. This was the seminal project which inspired the Community House Network. This year our opening will be both of the Art Garage, and the Shop Co-Op which will host the First Apprentice program as well as other activities designed to promote training in the trades. I have often spoken to the power of creativity to transform people's lives. The trades have just as much power to transform not just individual's lives, but whole neighborhoods.
My neighborhood was built by people who worked in the trades and built their own houses. The Chrysalis House was built by a plumber, and has a bunch of incredible details. When people build their own houses they care about those things. So I live in a neighborhood with houses that were built with such care, and so many are now in complete neglect or disrepair. It is not a matter of not caring, but not having the know-how, or money to pay someone else to do it. This can leave people somewhat helpless. When people know how to fix their own properties, they can customize them to their hearts desire. What a difference it would make if we could have more home-ownership and a greater knowledge base in the trades so that home-owners could create and take care of the house of their dreams. Besides just the Art Garage, we have a new project starting in April, The First Apprentice. This is a project-based youth centered program designed to teach kids some of the basic skills of the trades while giving them a chance to build small, fun projects. Our session project to be held on April 10th will be hosted by no other than Ed Boley, of Boley Tools. He will teach the kids to make Antler Lamps. Now that is a cool project. I will have to let you know how it turns out.
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Things are moving along, and I am starting be discover some of the incredible resources available to the Community House Network. It seems that there are many corporations that are happy to participate in donating goods to a community non-profit. So far each of the building supply stores we contacted, had things in place to allow them to donate materials for good causes. I am excited because up to this point I have been paying out of pocket for all of the art materials and building supplies we have used at the Art Garage. I am so grateful to Dayna Crocker for helping me realize that help and kindness abounds.
This March we are starting our lecture series called "If I Knew Then". Rather than lectures, these will be more like interviews in an open forum where small business owners will share about their experiences opening up a business. I was sharing this idea with a friend Theresa Bloom who as it turns out works for an organization affiliated with Bradley University, ILSBDC, supporting small business start-ups. Here is a link to register for their services https://ilsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/info I am curious to know more, and when I registered for their services, I saw that their upcoming informational support meeting was to be hosted exactly during the hours of our monthly open board meeting. Well why not? So I have put on the agenda that we as a board attend the meeting. I hope everyone can make it. What a great way to expand our circle of knowledge. I am grateful for those who are participating and helping realize this dream. My hope is that by sharing some of these resources and experiences, others will have an easier road ahead. I know how much I appreciate those who have shown up thus far to help direct me. Prayer for the day: May I always remain open and teachable. When I first designed the Community House Network it included in the foundational documents a women's recovery house, "The Chrysalis House". My first steps towards formalizing the project involved a conversation with Peoria based SCORE. Now that I am more in the swing of things with this process, I should look more into what SCORE does in the community of small business entrepreneurialism. Although they got me started and gave me some great ideas, they were limited in their ability to help me with the documents and other fine details I needed to understand about becoming a NFP.
Through their guidance, I created an initial business plan. It included all the spaces: The Center for Creative Learning at 800 W. Thrush, The Art Garage (800 W. Thrush - Rear), The Community House (2223 N. Sheridan Rd), The Shop Co-Op (2225 N. Sheridan - Rear) AND The Chrysalis House (2225 N. Sheridan). During our conversation around the plan, I had concerns about including the recovery home. I still planned to do it, but I thought I would keep it separate from the NFP. The primary reasons for that was to keep it private, and also because I intended to charge women to stay there. I was afraid the stream of revenue would cause problems for me. Well, now that I am in full swing, I see that the Chrysalis House needs to be brought back as a part of the picture. Reasons for making the Chrysalis House part of the CHN: 1. Can collect donations to support activities for the house. 2. Can put the house itself in the name of the foundation. 3. Can allow women who are jobless more time to get on their feet, and stay without rent. 4. Can use some of our fundraising to make repairs in the Chrysalis House. The women are already participating in the activities of the CHN. I hope they will be big members of the network when they graduate! I am reading Peter Block's book called Community: The Structure of Belonging. It is very inspiring.
He talks about bringing all people into participation, especially those who may otherwise be invisible parts of our society. I have some neighbors, who I doubt you would call invisible. Nonetheless, they are pretty non-traditional and they are a big part of this project. Their enthusiasm is contagious, especially Melody. Yesterday we had our third board meeting. It was great to be able to share some of the emerging programming. Afterwards, Melody and I sat around in the Community House and sang songs. https://photos.app.goo.gl/5GfFwW7brqiwXFgF7 It was so fun. It is important that while we are doing the good work of starting up a project we remember to stop and smell the roses, and of course sing about them too. I am thrilled to see this project taking form. I still haven't completed all the paperwork for the IRS, but in some ways I am glad that things are going slowly since new ideas are being added to the mix. This is exactly as I would like. The community is participating by bringing their own gifts and vision to the table, and I am ready to put it in the pot!
What a wonderful feeling. I knew we would have recovery meetings, but now I am having people making suggestions as to what types of meetings they would like. I knew we would have hands on activities focused on entrepreneurialism, but I didn't know I would have people making suggestions for activities, and even new populations to work with. I knew we would support entrepreneurialism, but I didn't realize how ready people are for the opportunity to step onto the path of realizing their passion. Also donations of goods and new ideas for adult parent-child classes are being suggested and added. All of this is going in the final IRS application, so as I said, I am grateful that the process has been slow. It has given it time to become what is is meant to be. I also started a creativity challenge for the new year. Each day I am writing one song, one poem and doing one drawing. I struggle with poetry, but the daily practice has produced some interesting results. Here is one from the other day. Becoming Wrapped tightly inside there is something of worth but it can't be accessed yet. Drop the hammer, and throw away the chisel No matter how many bangs of the hammer it can't be accessed yet. The opening of a rosebud happens with the gentle rays of the sun. If you like the idea of a creativity challenge, I hope you will join us for our course. How to Be Creative and Live a Spectacular Life It is almost the New Year, and I cannot even describe how excited I am imagining what will come next. I realized I need to have help. Volunteers are great, but they are also rather unreliable. It is necessary to pay people.
Yesterday we did a preparation for our New Year's event and walked through the first course offering Strengthening the Core. The short practice exercises were extremely powerful! I discovered a few threads lingering in my formerly robe of self-doubt, fear and self-sabotage. The beautiful design of the course is that the final focus is stepping out of those old patterns. I was able to ask myself what would I do if I knew I couldn't be wrong? One thing was to spend money, and be generous. The fear of money, or lack of it, is a terrible hinderance to stepping out into our dreams. I have put money aside to start-up this project, though, and I believe it is about time I dipped into the til and let it flow. I have decided to hire an Assistant Director of the Community House, and a Director of Youth Programming. I feel so much better just saying it. What a relief to have a team of people who share my vision and who have the time and willingness to commit to the project. The Community House Network is all about empowering individuals to direct their own lives and live the life of their dreams. I haven't talked as much about The Center for Creative Learning yet, but this is what I intend to focus on in the New Year! The Center is focused on alternative education, including adult programs for personal growth and expansion. On New Year's Day at 1PM CST the Center will host an intentions setting ceremony. It is open to anyone interested in participating. So Please Join Us! Please Join Us 1:00 CST Friday, January 1st 2021 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Setting intentions is a powerful way to align our lives with our highest aspirations. When we set intentions we are saying to the universe, “This is what I want for my life.” Intentions are the seeds of our soul’s desire. As we set them, we set the course to see new and beautiful things blossom in our lives. When setting my personal intention for the new year, I want to ask myself, “What is it I want to harvest in the new year? What is my soul most longing to experience? What would my life look like if I were living my dream? What do I need to let go of to step into my light?” 2021 Intention’s Setting Ceremony Guide: Prior to joining us, it will be useful to spend each night from today until New Year’s Day, thinking of what your soul most desires to experience in the new year. Each night before bed, grab your journal, and find a comfy spot. Center your attention on the present moment. Set your timer for 5 minutes and ask yourself, “What would my highest expression of my soul look like? What do I need to do to step onto that path? What is my soul longing to experience in the new year?” Notice what arises. Allow your thoughts to flow without judgement. When the timer ends journal for another 5 minutes or so. Notice both the positive and negative emotions or thoughts that arise. Perhaps there is the inner critic that wants to minimize your desires. Write down both the positive and negative in your journal. We will set intentions to let go of any limiting beliefs you have identified, so we may step into our heart’s desire without fear, judgement, or doubt. For Friday, please come with a candle and a journal or something to write with. We will light our candles at 1:11 Central Standard Time. The ceremony will end at 2PM CST. 1PM – introductions and sharing. 1:11 – Candle lighting 1:15-1:20 – Intention for Family 1:25-1:30 – Intention for Relationships 1:35-1:40 – Intention for Community 1:45-1:50 – Intention for Self 2:00 PM We invite you to stay on for an introduction to the free course Strengthening the Spiritual Core: A Journey to Self. https://www.consciousnessexplorations.com/strengthening-the-core.html ZOOM LINK: The Community House is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: New Year's Intention Setting Time: Jan 1, 2021 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85942756915?pwd=YTNpUTljZTNiODZDN1lBazk3SFZ1Zz09 Meeting ID: 859 4275 6915 Passcode: 367453 One tap mobile +13126266799,,85942756915#,,,,*367453# US (Chicago) +16468769923,,85942756915#,,,,*367453# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 876 9923 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 859 4275 6915 Passcode: 367453 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcdfrXFZfi I was working on our upcoming personal growth course with Susan and we started talking about endings. I am not sure why, but I have a terrible time with endings. I have come to see this as part of my process-oriented mind. I like to see a project in the process of becoming, and start to shut-down when I think I am at the end. I believe we never really finish anything. Ideas come, take shape, and leave, but I find they come back in new and powerful ways if I allow them to.
My biggest problem with being enamored with the process rather than the product, is that it can be difficult to see things into a form. Ideas come to play and then float on their way. After years of sorting through jumbled notebooks filled with brilliant ideas, I realized I needed a system to organize and anchor these ideas down. Basically a way to not lose them forever. I found that publishing was a wonderful way to do this. Even publishing something like a blog. Anchors are what become places where ideas hit 3D reality. In creating these anchors for our dreams and ideas, we allow others to participate with us in new and exciting ways. A suggestion for the process-oriented mind: instead of random journals, use google docs with specific titles. This will spare you the pain of looking for those journals or scraps of paper. If you do write on a paper, you can take a photo and upload it to a folder designated for those ideas. What do you then want to do with these growing ideas? That is up to you. Starting to create anchors has taken me quite a way in acting meaningfully in the world. If you want to do more with this, you can join our courses. Check them out here: www.consciousnessexplorations.com The advice I would give at this point to anyone crazy enough to start a program of action like the Community House Network (or whatever your vision may hold) is to keep moving.
I was speaking with my colleague and collaborator Brandy about how it feels like things are moving just too fast right now and I want to press pause for a minute. She mentioned a program she had just attended which focused on the emergent and responsive nature of any project. She also mentioned working with another non-profit that was hitting just the same wall I seem to be up against. That is: What happens when and idea hits 3D reality? I think the key is not to lose the big picture. So while I am stressing out about the fact that the internet is not working, I don't need to say, forget hosting the first organizational meeting. I don't need to shut down the main purpose to fix the non-essentials. Just keep on moving, oh yeah, and ask for help! Friday the 13th seems like an ominous day to have my first meeting with my Foundation Group mentor, but it is also World Kindness Day! The world could use a little kindness these days.
The conversation was enlightening, it got me back to those pieces I still need to put in place. A big one is process guides. A written pathway into becoming a part of the Community House. It will help people orient and get us all on the same page. I better have some of those ready for our first meeting on November 23rd. Also we talked about finances. Uugh. A tough subject for me, as I have had my own personal battles with money. I have often equated money with greed, and so it is a big shift for me to start to realize money can just as easily be associated with generosity, kindness and even personal empowerment. One thing I learned was that if you are an operating foundation you must spend at least 85% of your donated funds towards operations. Well, I don't think that will be a problem. I am sure we will use 100% and then some. I was wondering what else you might do with donations than use them for the project? The big non-operating foundations apparently can hold onto their money, they only need to distribute 5%, which seems awfully low. Or maybe I heard him wrong. Anyway, I am not a big non-operating foundation, I am a small operating foundation. And so 85% it is. |
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