2nd day of December, 2008: It is an important time to be alive. We stand on the edge of the future; the hand we play now will decide our fate and that of generations to come. As I embark on my adventure at Housing For All, I keep coming back to the reality of interconnectedness. No challenge stands alone, but is intertwined with every other opportunity for change. To fulfill our mission, we must look at more than housing. Every individual must be nurtured and nourished in order to envision his/her purpose and gain the knowledge and skill necessary to manifest the reality which he/she was born to create. This calling must then be able to provide a means of gaining resources that can be transferred into needed commodities: Food, clothing, shelter.
This is my elevator speech. In order to achieve housing for all, we must address education, employment AND housing. The only real security we may attain comes from increasing the level of self-sufficiency within our local communities. Let us now take our first steps towards creating a supportive society that produces contributors instead of consumers.
This is my elevator speech. In order to achieve housing for all, we must address education, employment AND housing. The only real security we may attain comes from increasing the level of self-sufficiency within our local communities. Let us now take our first steps towards creating a supportive society that produces contributors instead of consumers.
Housing For All Corporation
82 School Street, Hyannis, MA 02601
508.771.1470
contact@housingforall.us
82 School Street, Hyannis, MA 02601
508.771.1470
contact@housingforall.us
16th day of December, 2009: I find it hard to believe that Christmas is next week. This means that 2010 is the week after next. I don't know why this should seem so strange, but it sits weirdly in my gut. The calendar year sounds foreign, as if from a time other than my own. And yet, here I am.
We are working hard at Housing For All, with the days flying by as if in a time warp. There is so much to do to accomplish all that we feel we must. I am reminded frequently that I cannot do it all, but to be honest, I don't believe it. I feel like I can play my part in a way that inspires, empowers and motivates others to play their part to its full potential. Let each actor shine on the stage of life. Envision the new paradigm so that we may activate the great manifestation of our generations' future. From young to old we face the same fate. We have the power to change, to create, to survive.
We are working hard at Housing For All, with the days flying by as if in a time warp. There is so much to do to accomplish all that we feel we must. I am reminded frequently that I cannot do it all, but to be honest, I don't believe it. I feel like I can play my part in a way that inspires, empowers and motivates others to play their part to its full potential. Let each actor shine on the stage of life. Envision the new paradigm so that we may activate the great manifestation of our generations' future. From young to old we face the same fate. We have the power to change, to create, to survive.
8th Day of January, in the Year 2009: I blog during online commercial breaks, watching the Colbert Report. A long day of meetings>event planning, school council>home to work on the website>here to write to you. We must proceed to Heaven, right here on Earth Now. I highly recommend the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, that has got me seeing the Path more clearly. In my day today I have been both alarmed by the conflicts in the external world and encouraged by the internal worlds I experience around me in the people I meet. I pray that tomorrow is a beautiful day.
11th day of May, 2009: I am taking it one page at a time. One breath at a time. The only way. Doing my best to do my best in all that I feel I must do. I hope you are moving forwards towards your fullest self. This is the time to become all that you are.
22nd of June, 2009: A strange summer storm here on Cape Cod today. We are moving along on Campus improvements at CHAMP Homes and enjoying every day. After all, the future is uncertain and the present is a beautiful gift! Very excited to be sending two students to the Deconstruction and Material Re-use class at Yestermorrow Design/ Build School in Vermont next month. Salvaging and retrofitting buildings is coming into focus for our organization.
7th of July, 2009: Human relations is such a huge part of housing. We must not only pursue affordable ways of creating environmentally sustainable buildings, we must learn new ways of living together in the homes that we can afford. Social sustainability will be a crucial aspect of successful housing development. We hope to meet the basic needs of the community... Shelter, food & water, clothing, belonging... and need to re-connect individuals to their ability to take care of themselves and one another.
18th of July, 2009: By this time next week, I will have gained new skills and knowledge that can then be applied to provide for the needs of the community. Buildings in disrepair may be donated to a non-profit such as Housing For All Corporation and benefit the owner in the form of demolition cost savings and a tax write off. The energy and material saved in the process of deconstruction as opposed to standard demolition has a significant impact on the environment. Although there are many hurdles to the re-use of salvaged materials, the opportunity to create affordable housing and value-added products using this method has tremendous potential! Visit yestermorrow.org to find out more about class offerings.
3rd day of August, 2009: Well, we returned from class and dove right back into the thick of things here on Cape Cod. Our glass, plastic and aluminum redemption & recycling program (Earth Care ) is a time consuming project at the moment. I know that it is a worthwhile endeavor and hope that we are able to develop its potential with the help of active citizen engagement. Tonight, I finally get to sit and type a few lines about time... The actualization of a vision does, in deed, usually take more than just a few moments... or even days for that matter! Nonetheless, I see deconstruction and building rehab and maintenance in our future. It is work that needs doing. We will do what needs to be done! As my father says, this non-profit means business!
6th day of October, 2009: Aaaaahhh... So much to do. So much to think about. It is in remembering to breathe and be peaceful and joyful that we will be able to succeed. To see our way through the pressures of modern living, we must begin to distinguish the essential from the over emphasized. Let us stay focused on the vision of a world where people respect, love and care for themselves and one another. It is well worth living for.
23rd day of March, 2010: On a mission of this magnitude, it is imperative to stop and check your map. Don't have one, you say? Start from where you are. Look around. Look inside. Then look into the distance and describe what you see. Then imagine how the road might wind from here to there (There=Then-Here). For my part, I'm looking to design an adventure full of learning, loving and growing that connects all paths to each other as we converge at the summit of health and happiness. What do you see ahead?