October Newsletter (2014)

October Fun The Royal Oak - Huntington Woods TimeBank participated in the organization of the first annual Auction fundraiser at the Royal Oak Women's Club on Saturday the 18th of October.  Our TimeBank made a great showing at the auction and a hearty thank you goes out to all of the members who came out to support the MI Alliance of TimeBanks and the local TimeBanks at this auction.  Our TimeBank will make 50% of the proceeds from items that our members donated at the event.  We will keep you posted on how much we earned from this fundraiser once the numbers are tallied.  Even though our TimeBank runs primarily from exchanges made between members, we won't be able to move to the next level of viability until we can earn enough from fundraisers and dues to support a paid staff member.  In the meantime, our success relies upon all of the truly dedicated members of our TimeBank that share their talents with each other.  Post what you are good at and don't hesitate to call a member if you need immediate assistance with anything.  Sometimes a phone is quicker and more effective than an email.  If you need help logging into hOurworld online to get a list of members names and contact information, let Rachel Reyst-Carroll know and she can set up an appointment to help!   What We Are Doing Next Great opportunities to engage with fellow TimeBankers and exchange hours are coming up!  October 24th 5pm to 9pm - Halloween at the "Y":  Join us at the South Oakland YMCA for the annual Halloween Party.  The TimeBank has traditionally had a large turnout of members to assist with running the games, passing out candy and painting faces.  Last year we also had a member help out greatly in the haunted house with real props!  Contact Lisa at the YMCA if you would like to help out and she can sign you up for a task! November 14th - Chili Cook Off:  The temperature will be dropping but things will be heating up at the 2nd annual Chili Cook off at Jen's house.  Whip up your best batch of Chili and see if you can take the grand prize and championship from Tom G.  Look for a sign up email to come around as we get closer to the date.  Children are welcome to attend with their families and there will be activities for them as well. December 12th - Cookie Exchange:  Last year's cookie exchange was a smashing success!  Bring one type of cookie and leave with tons of different types.  This event will be at Jen's house and will be kid friendly.  Look for a sign up sheet to be emailed out as we approach the date.      Items of Interest for YOU to Know Due to unforeseen member needs at the YMCA, they are no longer able to extend classes to TimeBank members or use of open swim time.  You can still use your Time Dollars to rent space at the YMCA so keep that in mind for your next party or event. You can now offer and request exchanges GLOBALLY through the hOurworld software online!  If you don't want to go global at this time, you simply do nothing and everything will stay as it was.  Your information will not be shared with anyone outside of our local timebank.  In the event you would like to start offering and requesting exchanges outside of Royal Oak and Huntington Woods, you can make any offer "Global" by clicking on the earth icon when you create the offer or request.  If you would like to learn more, contact Rachel Reyst-Carroll to set up a time for an orientation.  This is a great opportunity for us to exchange with other timebanks in Michigan and to see what TimeBanks are offering in other states or other countries.  If you have any questions, let us know!

CONNECT WITH US Friend us on Facebook You could earn hours starting a Twitter Account for the TimeBank and keeping it going! Read our blog Forward this to a Friend CONTACT US royaloaktimebank@gmail.com   MEET YOUR KITCHEN CABINET These Kitchen Cabinet members are active and doing their best to keep the TimeBank going!  If you have talent to share and time on your hands, consider earning time dollars by helping the cabinet make the TimeBank more sustainable and successful.  We are looking for people to do any number of things from activities as simple as posting facebook and twitter updates to hosting our next event! Laura LeBlanc Nancy Chinn Gary Jaskolski Wendy Appleton (Huntington Woods) Rachel Reyst-Carroll Miriam Nemeth Karl Dorn Tom Giese Tom Maclaney ENDORSED BY THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON WOODS     APPROVED BY THE CITY OF ROYAL OAK SOUTH OAKLAND YMCA Member of the Royal Oak - Huntington Woods TimeBank!   ROYAL OAK COMMUNITY COALITION Member of the Royal Oak - Huntington Woods TimeBank COMMON GROUND SANCTUARY   Member of the Royal Oak - Huntington Woods TimeBank NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT? Let us know if you need help with logging your hours, seeing what offers and requests are online or if you would like to arrange an orientation date.  Contact Rachel Reyst-Carroll  by email or at 248-259-1706 and we can arrange a one on one training or put your name on the list for the next group orientation.

September Newsletter (2014)

"Fall" - Into Your Community

I hope that everyone had a great summer!  Now that we are back from our vacations and outdoor adventures, it is time to settle into the routine of normal life.  The air is getting more chill and it is time to connect with our neighbors.  Thank you to all of our TimeBank members who came out to the Annual Meeting and enjoyed the pool at Nancy and Vic's home one last time.  We also successfully made a showing at the Green Cruise in Ferndale to showcase TimeBanking's part in sustainable and local living.  Our Community Garden culminated in an excellent "Taste of the Garden" picnic this month which showcased dishes made from our garden goodies and the cutting of the watermelon in the garden.   This garden is an excellent resource for our families and our neighbors, we hope to have even more people in the garden next year.
 

Roasted Beets and Greens made by Wendy Appleton for the Taste of the Garden Picnic.


Members enjoying a taste of the garden on a sunny, crisp day. 

The crowning glory of the garden, one large watermelon. 

The watermelon was juicy and very sweet, even though it had a light pink interior. 

Tom Giese made an eggplant tapenade and homemade bread from the community garden vegetables. 

Tom Maclaney plays the recorder during the Taste of the Garden picnic. 

  

What We Are Doing Next

Great opportunities to engage with fellow TimeBankers and exchange hours are coming up! 

October 2014 - Halloween at the "Y":  Join us at the South Oakland YMCA for the annual Halloween Party.  The TimeBank has traditionally had a large turnout of members to assist with running the games, passing out candy and painting faces.  Last year we also had a member help out greatly in the haunted house with real props!  The event is traditionally the Friday before Halloween and the final date will be emailed out in October.  This is a fun way to earn hours while enjoying the cute costumes and great community interaction.

November 14th - Chili Cook Off:  The temperature will be dropping but things will be heating up at the 2nd annual Chili Cook off at Jen's house.  Whip up your best batch of Chili and see if you can take the grand prize and championship from Tom G.  Look for a sign up email to come around as we get closer to the date.  Children are welcome to attend with their families and there will be activities for them as well.

December 12th - Cookie Exchange:  Last year's cookie exchange was a smashing success!  Bring one type of cookie and leave with tons of different types.  This event will be at Jen's house and will be kid friendly.  Look for a sign up sheet to be emailed out as we approach the date.   

 

Items of Interest for YOU to Know

• The YMCA is eager to see TimeBank members at their facility using time dollars to enjoy classes, rentals and free swim time.  Make sure that you have an updated picture of yourself added to the hOurworld software and then print your member ID card from your profile page.  Bring that card in with you to the YMCA to show them that you are a Royal Oak - Huntington Woods TimeBank member and you can start enjoying all the "Y" has to offer.  If you need any help at all with this process, contact Rachel and she can get you started or print the card off for you.

• You can now offer and request exchanges GLOBALLY through the hOurworld software online!  If you don't want to go global at this time, you simply do nothing and everything will stay as it was.  Your information will not be shared with anyone outside of our local timebank.  In the event you would like to start offering and requesting exchanges outside of Royal Oak and Huntington Woods, you can make any offer "Global" by clicking on the earth icon when you create the offer or request.  If you would like to learn more, contact Rachel Reyst-Carroll to set up a time for an orientation.  This is a great opportunity for us to exchange with other timebanks in Michigan and to see what TimeBanks are offering in other states or other countries.  If you have any questions, let us know!