Saturday: Free fabric gift-wrapping service at DeWitt Mall

SewGreen is hosting a free fabric gift-wrapping service from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, December 19 at its Rescued for Reuse store in the DeWitt Mall, corner of Seneca and Cayuga streets in downtown Ithaca.

Fabric gift wrap is more earth-friendly than paper because it can be reused, saved for future projects, or returned to the giver. Have your gift wrapped by SewGreen volunteers, wrap it yourself, or just come to get ideas about creative reuse.

SewGreen offers sustainable sewing classes for all ages, free youth apprenticeships, reuse and resale. Find out more about them:
www.sew-green.org

Photos from Share Tompkins Holiday Swap

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Share Tompkins is Acknowledged as a 2009 Sign of Sustainability by Sustainable Tompkins

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On December 6, 2009 at the Women’s Community Building in downtown Ithaca, Sustainable Tompkins presented over 140 Signs of Sustainability Awards to new local initiatives. Travis Knapp, a musician and farmer with Dancing Turtle Farms, accepted the award on behalf of Share Tompkins.

Gay Nicholson of Sustainable Tompkins: “This really is going to be an important part of a sustainable community and an important piece of the self-provisioning that any resilient community needs to create, so I’ve really been very glad to see you guys step up and offer this to us.”

We really appreciate the support and were excited to share the stage with so many great local projects!

Food security in America: Are we learning to share?

The New York Times tells us this week that 1 in 8 Americans (and 1 in 4 children) is on food stamps. Let’s just let that sink in for a second. That’s a lot of people who need food. That’s us, that’s our neighbors – not just statistics.

The NY Times thinks the stigma around receiving nutrition assistance is fading, but Gawker has written an insightful follow-up pointing out that the comments on the Times article and even quotes in the article itself reveal that there is still a lot of shame and shaming going on when it comes to hunger in America. Here’s yet another piece from the Huffington Post about elders using food pantries that touches on these issues.

Meanwhile, Times of India reports that Americans throw away 40% of food. What is going on America?

Some of us are so hungry that, even if it shames us (though it’s this author’s opinion that there should be no shame in receiving, just as there is no shame in giving), we are seeking assistance to feed ourselves and our families. Others are in need and haven’t reached out for help, trying to make do on their own and suffering.

And yet, others of us are worried that hungry folks are leeching off the system, that they aren’t working hard enough, that they should be shamed into getting off the assistance they need so much. And we’re throwing away food, instead of giving it to those who are going without.

Despite this lingering us-them shame game, the fact that the media is having this conversation, and that people are signing up for assistance in record numbers, could just mean that America is learning to share. Maybe we’re finally discovering together that we have enough food, and that no one should go hungry, and that we can solve this problem – we just have to act like helpful neighbors, not spiteful enemies.

As these articles show, any of us can go hungry and need help. It’ll serve us all better if we can remember that and treat others as we would like to be treated. My mom taught me that (and how to share) when I was a little kid. If little kids can obey the golden rule, and share their toys, adults should be setting a good example and doing the same with food.

What are your thoughts about sharing food? Have you seen hunger in Tompkins County? Have you or people you know gone hungry? Have you helped out at Loaves and Fishes, or participated in food reclamation / waste reduction? How can our community ensure that no one goes hungry – how can we share better? Please leave a comment below.

Holiday Swap at Southside Community Center Dec. 12

Our seventh Community Swap Meet is all about the holidays. What better way to get unique gifts for everyone on your list than to share and barter for crafts, services and other goodies?! This event is hosted and co-sponsored by the Southside Community Center.

Holiday Community Swap Meet
Saturday, December 12, 4-7pm
Southside Community Center
305 S. Plain St, Ithaca, NY 14850
Map

RSVP on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203720536936

You can post haves/wants to the Share Tompkins email list:
https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/sharetompkins

All are welcome to bring stuff to swap. You can expect to find:
One-of-a-kind fabric collage sweatshirts by Lea Elleseff
Photo prints by Frank Muller
Hand-knitted hats and cozies by Shira Golding
Personalized button-making by Ari Moore
And much more!

What to bring:
- Food: teas, baked goods, jams, chocolate, etc.
- Body Care: tinctures, soaps, creams, etc.
- Handmade Crafts: ceramics, candles, art, etc.
- Stuff: electronics, housewares, books, etc.
- Services: massage, yoga, music lessons, etc.
- Bags, boxes and carts to take stuff home in

Guidelines:
- Our goal is sustainability – please bring stuff that is locally-grown or made from local materials
if possible, but anything is welcome!
- Be prepared to take back home with you whatever you don’t end up bartering or giving away. Left-over items will be donated appropriately.
- Please bring stuff that is in good condition or can be easily-repaired – no junk!

Please spread the word even if you can’t come!

Get Involved in Share Tompkins!

Hey folks! We’ve got six months of swaps under our collective belt and a lot of great ideas for the next six months, so it seems like a good time to get together and do some planning. We’re having an organizers’ meeting on Tuesday, November 17 from 7-9pm at 212 N. Plain St. #1 and all are welcome. We’ll work on planning our holiday swap and discuss big picture goals for the future of Share Tompkins. This is your chance to get involved! RSVP on Facebook.

Photos from Share Tompkins Community Swap Meet #6

We had a great time hanging out on The Commons and spreading the word about Share Tompkins. We also had some nice coverage in The Cornell Daily Sun and Wishing Well Magazine.

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Bioneers Swap Meet this Sunday on The Commons!

We’re having a 6th swap meet this Sunday, October 18, 2009. This one is short and sweet, from 12-2pm, and we hope to see you there!

The swap is an official part of the Finger Lakes Bioneers Conference’s downtown festival on the Ithaca Commons! There will be live music and outreach by local environmental groups. We’ll have an info table at the Ampitheatre, along with spaces for free stuff and for bartering / selling, and people to help explain how it works.

What to bring:

• Veggies, teas, baked goods, jams, tofu, home-canned produce, etc.
• Tinctures, soaps, etc.
• Ceramics, woodworking, art, etc.
• Electronics, housewares, tools, books, etc.
• Health services, bike repair, web design, accounting, shoveling, moving, etc.
• Housing, workspace, sharable garden plots, event hosting, etc.
• Bags, boxes or carts to take stuff home in
• A table for your stuff (optional)

Guidelines:

• Our goal is sustainability – please bring stuff that is locally-grown or made from local materials if possible, but anything is welcome!
• Be prepared to take back home with you whatever you don’t end up bartering or giving away.
• Please bring stuff that is in good condition or can be easily-repaired – no junk!

We hope to see you there. Please spread the word even if you can’t come!

• RSVP and see who else is coming on Facebook
• Join the mailing list or our Facebook group to get alerts about upcoming swap meets
• See photos and videos of past swap meets

The Advocacy Center: “support, advocacy and education for survivors of domestic violence since 1977″

Another local organization has been added to our Resources guide: The Advocacy Center. In addition to running a 24-hour hotline for survivors of domestic violence, (607) 277-5000, they offer other services including crisis intervention, shelter and support, legal advocacy, examinations, and referrals.

If you know of other resources that should be listed in the guide, please tell us about them.

Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties, New York

I didn’t know that there was a local Habitat for Humanity until I saw a volunteering brochure at Greenstar Coop. We’ve just added them to the Resources guide’s Housing section.

About their services they write,

Habitat is a hand-up, not a hand-out for low-income families in need of an affordable, decent home. Partner families commit 500 hours of “sweat equity” working on their own home, the homes of others, and attaining skills needed for self-sufficiency and responsible homeownership. Families also repay a modest no-profit, no-interest loan with affordable monthly payments. Payments go into a revolving fund to build homes for more families in Tompkins and Cortland Counties. (Read more)

They’re looking for volunteers right now, if anyone out there wants to help create affordable housing in a truly hands-on way. Has anyone reading this had an experience working with Habitat for Humanity, building homes cooperatively, barnraising, or the like? Please post a comment!