Second...I am seeking the wisdom of my blogging buddies...I need your help...I have been asked to do something for my job and I'm at a lost as to where to start...here's what happened:
My company wants my residents, my staff and myself to partner with our community to volunteer in community based organizations...They want us to do activities that will get my complex involved in the community...and the community involved in my complex...here's where the problem begins...I live in a very small town, and even the county doesn't have much in community based organizations...we have no YMCA, etc. We do have 4-H, and girl/boy scouts and that is about it...and those organizations all ready have places that they meet, etc...I have no community room of any kind to hold any kind of meeting, etc. and my property is 30 years old and falling down around me...we have Masonite siding (for those of you who have never heard of this, it is basically cardboard siding)...it is old and ugly...Last year, I even had birds peck holes in the siding and build their nest...I guess from one year to the next even the birds are too good for my complex, because they aren't even coming back to 'rent' a wall...grin...We are hoping to hear about a government loan to fix up everything, but until then, I have to do something that will get people interested enough to come to my property and for them to overlook how it looks...
So I contacted the Town Manager and asked about any organizations that they might have...and he was clueless to what I was asking...so I've set up an appointment with him for this coming Thursday to discuss things that I (with your help) come up with...
So to recap:
- I have to do something with /for the community
- My community doesn't offer anything
- I have to think up a few things before Thursday to run past my Town Manager
- Whatever activity I plan/do has to get our complex name out there so that people will know about my complex and it has to be for the community, not just my complex
- and I have no idea what to do or where to start
- We are a poor property, so I have a very little budget...
- I don't have residents that will participate in anything unless it is on the property and I don't think I'm going to be able to get anyone to come to the property because I don't have an activities room to do anything in...
Here are a few things that I have thought about so far:
- I have signed up to be a facilitator for the Dove Self-esteem program for young girls (but this will take about 8 - 10 weeks just for the training items to get to me and then I have to read it, learn it and then lead it...so this will be something for later in the year...hopefully)
- I have signed up my staff to do a children's reading program at the local library every 3rd Friday of the month...(so any books for preschoolers that you know that will have a project that can go with it, I would love for you to share it with me...thanks)...the problem with this is that my boss doesn't consider this a good fit with the partnership that the company is wanting... (basically my company wants something that will get us free advertising)
- I have thought about holding a "craft 'to-do' fair"...I would set up 4 or 5 different areas and each area would do a craft with the children...the craft would take 30-45 minutes to do and then they would move on to another craft area and do another craft, and so on...we would serve a simple lunch or maybe just a snack of some kind...If I can't find enough volunteers to help teach the craft, then my other option would be for me to do them all by setting up tables for everyone to sit at and we would go through each craft...me showing them how to do it and them doing it...???
I don't have a college close by, for any help there...and I have a very, very small budget...HELP!!!
Okay, so this is your challenge for the week...I wish I could offer a prize (I will think on it to see what I could offer as a prize for the winning suggestion...hmmmm...will think on that...)
Hugs...and thank you in advance for any help you can offer...
5 comments:
Oh wow, Brenda, this is a tough one. I remember the big push for community policing and that had our station all jacked up for awhile. I'll have to give this some thought and if I come up with anything, I'll let you know. I like the ideas you have so far though.
This is definitely a challenge. How about a scrapbooking night for the community? Have a scrapbook representative there ready to sell items needed and give a very small baggie of a few cute things for an album?
I'll try to think of more ideas, Brenda. Good luck!
There's the Adopt a Highway program where groups, organizations or businesses adopt a section of highway to keep clean. I don't know if the program is available where you are, but here in Texas the organization or business actually has an official sign put up on the section of highway they are responsible for.
Because you offer so many tips for living green, how about spear-heading a recycling center if your community doesn't have one?
Or a community organic garden.
This is such a tough project. You are such a good cook, maybe you could do a spin off with that? Like a cookbook or cookoff? I don't know!
Rena...Anything you think of will be much appreciated...
Kelly...I love rubber stamping/scrapbooking, but most of my residents don't have the money for this...but I might be able to have a craft night with my residents using my stuff...thanks for the suggestion...
Bish...How funny...I just called the transportation dept this morning to check on this...and I've been thinking about the recycling idea...I'm just not sure where to start with that...
Christina...you are so sweet, but I can't cook...I throw things in a container, plug it in and call her Hazel...grin...
Thanks everyone for the suggestions...
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