Thursday, November 18, 2010

A 'Home Next Door to Home'

In response to last block party's survey, where over 80% of neighbors surveyed checked the box for a 'gathering place' INSIDE our little SoZoo area, we've made room for a 'clubhouse' of sorts, that is not anyone's living room, nor a religious or otherwise alrady dedicated space. So you can host a get-together with neighbors without cramping your style at home. We've got a large garage that we've committed to the neighborhood as a potential gathering space, art studio, party space, and 'un'school. We're putting a nice floor in it and finishing the walls as soon as we (financially) can.

Interest inventory: One (still unfinished) wall has 3 giant bulletin boards now. By pinning up notes on the bulletin boards, we can share our responses to the 3 purpose-sharing and local-living-economy-priming questions (see column on right: "good questions elicit good news") and see what thoughts and needs are alive in our neighbors right around us... and how the needs and assets overlap! Your privacy is protected, as you much be from SoZoo to see the names on the backs of the cards and get help getting in touch. If there's many names on a particular topic/card, we can host a little get-together.

Asset mapping: Also, there will be a map on the large (still blank) white curtain where everyone can stitch on a picture of their house and pin up what basic skills are housed in our 'hood (first aid, carpenter, babysitter, CPR, baker...) A fun and quite litteral way to do "asset mapping"! 'Un'School I'll tell you about the Montessori-inspired-Reskilling-preschool-for-all-ages part of the space another time, and post pictures.

Note: The space is as of yet furnished with a game table and benches, a library shelf, and first aid stuff. We might need your help to convince the property management company that a different (temporary) door-opening (temporary wall, door, and windows so you can see inside and join in the fun) (which we are able to make and remove) should be aesthetically pleasing to the property owner.