Summer is definitely here, and the warmer weather is not letting us forget it. The good news is that this weather brings with it the opportunity for fun outdoor activities. We hope you are enjoying your fair share of those!
Farmers Market season is well underway and, for the first time, TimeBank Boulder has expanded its outreach efforts to include the Longmont Farmers Market. On July 7, Don Parcher, Ashley Doriss, and Yours Truly spent several hours meeting Farmers Market patrons and sharing information about TimeBanking.
I was especially looking forward to this event because I spent part of my career as an elementary school counselor in the St. Vrain Valley School District and was hoping to run into some coworkers and acquaintances from back in the day. I was not disappointed! And, of course, we generated a lot of interest in TimeBanking. Now we’re hoping some of the folks we talked with will decide to become new members, including some of my old cohorts! As the number of TBB members in Longmont increases, TimeBankers who live there will be able to make more exchanges locally.
During two Boulder Farmers Markets in June, the TBB team talked with lots of people and gathered between 25 and 30 email addresses from potential TimeBankers on each occasion. Some of those folks have already become members and bring with them a vast and interesting variety of backgrounds, life experiences, and talents. When you receive the weekly email listing of offers and requests, please take the time to check out these new folks’ bios and skills. You may just find someone to do something for you that you’ve needed to have done for a long time. And that person might also be someone who can appreciate your unique offerings.
TBB currently has a list of applicants who, for whatever reason, have not yet completed the membership process. Ashley Doriss, in addition to her role conducting New Member Orientations (NMOs), has taken on the task of contacting these individuals to gauge their interest in completing the membership process. If you know of someone who has been in what we call “applicant limbo”, and has decided to proceed with becoming a member, they don’t have to wait for a phone call or a New Member Orientation. Please encourage them to get a hold of Ashley (ad_yogini@zoho.com) so she can guide them through the rest of the process. They will be welcomed with open arms!
And last but not least, I’d like to give a shout out to Geoff Murphy, TBB’s illustrious bookkeeper, who recently won the Prime Coordinator Award (see last month’s newsletter). I really rely on him as our treasurer for expertise and good will, both of which he has in abundance, to provide me with TBB’s current financial information, which I then share with the Board at each meeting. He does all the hard work and I get all the glory! Thank you for all you do, Geoff, and CONGRATULATIONS!
Have a great August, everyone!