April 15, 2008 General meeting
Vicki Boeckman, Carol Boettcher, Pat Coupanger, Pat Connelly, Evy and Floyd Ford, Madonna Gjerde, Bub and Bev Jahnke, Deb Jahnke, Josie Rhenigans, Sharon Rhoda, Dick and Margaret Sunderlin, Linda VanRavenhorst, Linda and Terry Weringa, and Clara Vereide attended. Jessica Peterson of UM Extension also attended.
A recap of the leaders meeting was given.
Discussion was held on plan ideas for the $10,000 grant.
Community engagement is something the foundation is going to look at. We talked of leaving a portion for community gatherings.
Thrift store or swap center. We may be able to pay rent with the funds.
Bev Jahnke shared with us about an article she read on “Free Cycle”.
The more specific we are in setting up our plan the easier it will be to implement.
It was brought up that Winnebago had a fix-up program. The residents had to do an improvement to the outside of their home. They could then bring the receipts to the City and would then receive up to $100.
Conclusion:
We will include a home fix-up program in the work plan.
Explore the feasibility of running a thrift/swap store. Jessica Peterson shared the idea of “Needs, Wants, & Offers”. Her neighborhood sent out a letter to all the neighbors where on one part they could list what they have to offer (items, services, etc.) and on the other part they could list their needs. They gathered the letters and created a booklet that was distributed to those that participated.
Bev Jahnke, Margaret Sunderlin, Linda VanRavenhorst, Deb Jahnke, and Clara Vereide will form a group to investigate the feasibility of either a thrift/swap store or a “Needs, Wants, & Offers”