Posted in Blog on Jun 11th, 2010
Everywhere I look, a family or an individual seems to be falling through the cracks, so I usually write about whatever tugs at my heart. My recent alignment with Sound ConneXions, and Sound ConneXions Chicago, whose goal is to support social entrepreneurs engaging in social innovation, gives me the courage to take on a project [...]
Posted in Housing Resources - local on Feb 28th, 2010
The Waterside Co-op is a 4 bedroom, 107 yr old, organic Victorian house in Lincoln Square/Ravenswood, near Campbell and Sunnyside, near public transportation. It’s across the street from a huge organic community garden where we grow raspberries and mint. We participate in and co-ordinate environmental, justice, and peace initiatives (not all at the same time) [...]
Posted in Blog on Feb 22nd, 2010
Working in a chilly corporate environment, with clear distinctions between the people that mattered and the people that didn’t, I came down with that dreaded child hood disease: the cooties. Having left my husband, whom I once dearly loved and thought would be my life partner, I entered the social scene as a 50-something. It’s [...]
Posted in Housing Resources - local on Jan 15th, 2010
February – member openings Mid-February – 3 month sublet, with an option of staying on as a full member beginning in May May – member openings Do you find joy in your life? Do you care about social justice and community? Then share a big, beautiful house with good people at a low price. Leland [...]
An odd twist of circumstances led me to live for two months in a bungalow where I shared a kitchen with two other housing units. A Punjabi Indian couple, completing their residencies at local hospitals, lived on the first floor with their beautiful eight-month-old daughter. An engineer lived in the basement apartment, a refugee from [...]
Posted in Blog on Nov 17th, 2009
The entire country seems to be having a deer in headlights moment: stunned with fear. With our social fabric rent to shreds, if there ever was a time for a new model, this is it. Cooperative community diners pose an elegant solution that may solve myriad problems on many levels. The diners of my youth [...]
Posted in Blog on Nov 16th, 2009
On a a splendid fall Saturday afternoon, a young man stood outside a convenience store with three children ranging in height from 2 feet to 3 feet. As they dug into their candy, the little girl dropped her wrapper on the ground. I took a deep breath and approached the father suggesting that this was [...]
Posted in Events Calendar on Oct 27th, 2009
Gather in the Parker Room on the second Sunday of the month (11/8, 12/13 and 1/10) from 12 to 2:30 to brainstorm for solutions to your vexing challenges! As usual, lunch for a small fee and childcare (if reserved in advance) are available. Could addressing any of these challenges make a big improvement in your [...]
Posted in Blog on Aug 19th, 2009
The Republican Right rarely bestows gifts. They were invited to the table but, resisting any proposal so far, it looks like the Obama administration may just blaze a new trail. Let’s hope so. Their staunch refusal of the public option to reform health care gave way to consideration of cooperatives as a potential solution. Research [...]
Posted in Blog on May 21st, 2009
The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives recently completed the first phase of research to evaluate the economic impact of cooperatives. The findings: cooperatives account for approximately $654 billion in revenue, over 2 million jobs, $75 billion in wages and benefits paid and $133.5 billion in value-added income. Because cooperatives are member owned, managed and [...]