Leverage Using Strategic Partnerships

Depending on the organization's needs and whether they serve the community, set up recurring relationship-based donations for some items. Food and clothing are good choices. Many grocers will donate food to foodbanks, feeding programs, after school programs and for special events.



Donated Goods at UMCOR



Last August a team member volunteered for a week in an UMCOR disaster warehouse and watched donations come in from manufactures by the semi truckload. Churches aslo sent donations, assembled disaster kits and sent them to the warehouse with groups coming to serve. The donated goods are assembled as seven disaster kits and are distributed to those affected by disaster.



Completed Layette Kits at UMCOR



The operation had two full time warehouse employees, and was staffed all year long with volunteer work teams from around the country. Most came from churches, some of different faiths, and boy scout groups. During our week of service, our group assembled birth kits, layettes and school kits. The assignments depend on available supplies in the warehouse and current or anticipated need. During our stay clean up kits were sent to an Indian reservation affected by wildfire. Birth kits were sent to the country of Georgia.

The mission was well supported. In fact, when the group leader tried scheduling a trip the same week in August 2013, he had to settle for the next week, because the calendar was filled by groups scheduled to serve all year.

Volunteers are the backbone of many charitable organizations. Count volunteer hours and convert them to a dollar value. Communicate that value to the community and to supporters to leverage additional support, or to obtain grant dollars to expand operations or set up new locations.

We have also seen volunteers in a for profit setting where the motivation was social change or doing good. Many for profit organizations also have a philantropy program where volunteers may be an excellent resource.

Check out Tech Soup to see if your organization qualifies for other types of donations. Find a membership that sells surplus goods for the cost of shipping and handling only.

More Gardening in the Workplace

Here is a last call for planting a Fall garden. Some workplaces are now providing community gardens. Many cool weather crops are planted in early Spring for an early Summer crop, then again in mid Summer for a Fall crop. For those who have Fall crops it will be time to make pickled vegetables, sauer kraut, dried fruit snacks and more. These products can be consumed at work, and a portion can be used to stock an emergency food supply in the work place.

 A communal garden differs in that whatever is grown belongs to and benefits the group. Communal gardening promotes team work, which can then be carried over into the work place by providing healthy salads, relish trays, stirfrys and nourishing soups. Skills learned at work prepare those who have not been exposed to gardening, preparing homemade meals and eating them family style, with skills that can be used at home.

August (the sooner, the better)
Mesclun (gourmet salad greens) - usable in 30 days, many plants in the mix are cold hardy
Micro Greens mature in less than 3 weeks
Arugula matures in less than 30 days
Short season radishes such as cherry bell or icicle mature in 25-30 days
Chard withstands cold temperatures, but may not keep growing.
Kale is cold hardy.
Beets may mature in time. Pre-soak seeds to speed germination. Harvest before frost.
Winter density lettuce is cold hardy.
Pakchoi and Bokchoi mature in about 45 days.
Chinese cabbage matures in about 60 days.
Spinach matures in about 45 days.

September
Fall is the best time to plant garlic and shallots
Very short season crops such as microgreens, arugula and radishes should mature if planted Sept. 1st. If we have a warm Fall, lettuce, spinach, bok choy and pakchoi may mature in time.
Plant cover crops such as rye grass or red clover to enrich the soil for a Spring garden and to reduce erosion.

Wintering Over
Mature brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips can be kept in the ground and harvested fresh during the winter months. Mulch during freezing weather, and pull back the mulch during good weather. Last year we enjoyed fresh carrots in February.

Food and Health-General Tips

General Health
Top quality coconut oil has many health benefits. It is a medium chain oil.
Drink coconut water instead of soda. It is hydrating, low in sodium and sugar and offers health benefits.
Oive oil is best used raw. Never use it to broil or fry food. It is a medium heat oil and becomes carcinogenic at over 350 degrees.
Balsamic vinegar uses in small amounts is more healthful than salad dressing. Fresh lime is also a good choice.
Mustard and collards offer excellent health benefits.
Organic yellow mustard has a place in your kitchen's pharmacy.
Tumeric is a another good addition.
Horseradish is helpful for staving off or reversing early signs of a sinus infection.
Fermented foods like sauer kraut and kimchee are excellent food sources.


No Bake Chocolate Truffles
Raw organic cocoa powder is low fat, low sugar and has some protein. It can be used to make low fat truffles. Grind your favorite nuts finely in a blender. Add 1 tbps. high quality coconut oil, macaroon coconut and cocoa power in quantities that match your preferred tastes.Dough should be just moist enough to form into a ball. Roll in macaroon coconut or organic raw cocoa or finely ground nuts for variety. For those without cancer a little honey or pure maple syrup may be added. Start with small quantities and experiment.

Herbs
Many fresh herbs have more nutrition than common salad greens. Cilantro is just one example.
Celery seed is higher in potassium than a banana or orange and does not affect blood sugar.

Next, we'll return to Fall gardening.

Food and Health-Prevention

Here are a few things we have learned.

Gum Pain
Add fresh organic cinnamon and freshly ground organic nutmeg stored in a 2-4 ounce jar. Add it to your natural toothpaste and brush teeth as usual to stop throbbing pain until you can have the condition evaluated by a dentist. They are a natural analgesic. A member or our team tried this and was effective. Individual results may vary. This should never be used as a substitute for dental care since this will not cure an underlying problem.

Migraines
Consuming a lime a day with juice and pulp prevents some forms of migraine headache. This was recommeded by someone else, and it worked for a member of our team that had suffered from migraines for forty years.

Diabetes
Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic scale. It can be substituted for cane or beet sugar and is used in the same amount. We use it to prevent the onset of diabetes.
Cinnamon and green beans help reduce blood sugar. Cinnamon leaf extract may be helpful. A family member has found green beans very effective and eats them every day.
This is not medical advice. Always seek assistance of a qualified medical doctor.

Macular Degeneration
Kale, blueberries and huckleberries are protective against macular degeneration.

High Protein Tips During and After Radiation
Cancer patients undergoing radiation are ususally advised to eat a lot of protein to help rebuild healthy cells.
Ak-mak crackers have one gram of protein in each cracker. They are low in sodium and sugar.
1/2 cup of cottage cheese has 14 grams of protein.
Lentils are an excellent low fat source of protein and fiber.
Follow the advice of a qualified doctor. Evaluate dietary recommendations. Consider co-occuring medical conditions or risk factors such as sodium restriction or diabetes.

The next post will be on Food and Health-General Tips

Free Enrichment Courses

Our last post was on a designing a debt-free education. This post directs readers to information about free music education. Music has been described as a universal language.

Obesity is on the rise in the United States. Type 11 diabetis is a major health condition that increases the risk of blindness, kidney failure, heart attach and stroke. See our resource page for information on free music and nutrition classes.

Debt-Free Education

Free courses abound today that allow a person to design or customize a quality education. A common term used to describe free access to education is open courseware. Many government organizations, colleges and universities offer a broad array of courses. Some also offer certificate programs.

Five have been added to our resource tab. Each of these resources provides a course certificate, a program certificate and/or a course transcript which can be used to learn new skills, demonstrate knowledge, perform with excellence in the workplace or obtain a promotion.

Last week team members attended most of a five day conference. At the conference one young man disclosed he had amassed an $83,000 debt obtaining a four year degree.  We know of another individual that earned a master's degree, is unemployed, and owes $102, 000. Astronomical school bills are leading to financial distress in many situations. Many students repay a school bill for twenty years. Basically they are mortgaging their financial future in hopes of finding employment.

Some Americans feel locked out financially. They can neither qualify for a grant or scholarship, afford the cost or indebtedness with an uncertain outcome.

For savvy individuals willing to conduct research, it is possible to attain a comparable education. Some colleges and universities will allow students to purchase college credits for some of the above coursework, but it comes at a price. Another possibility is to print off the educational requirements for a job, or community  college degree and take free courses that satisfy the criteria. It may not result in a college degree, but may satisfy a degree equivilency.

Resource Sharing. Part 4

Finance and administration is tasked with setting and monitoring a project, program or operations budget.  The procurement officer or contractor requests bids for special projects such as building renovations, equipment acquisitions, service contracts, and building repairs. This finance and administration group also tracks hours, compensation and benefits.

A smaller nonprofit may depend on revenue from a large fundraiser such as an auction, but lack sufficient resources to manage the financial aspects.  A resource sharing agreement might be activated to access extra help handling financial transactions and final accounting to reconcile accounts.  

In the case of small business the team communicates with logistics and planning regarding how much money is allocated, and how much is remaining in the budget. They may need to ask a section to cut expenses to prevent cost overruns. If a business needs but cannot financially sustain a salary for a full time procurement officer, a solution might be for three small businesses to fund one part or full time salary. Conversely, one organization may have the funds to support a full time procurement officer, but may benefit from the added compensation a resource sharing agreement might provide if there are seasonal or cyclical downtimes.

Resource Sharing. Part 3

Planning is the third area where a resource sharing agreement is important. One application is a work group. A work group consists of a liaison from several businesses or organizations. The reason for forming a work group is to work on a common goal. This may be used to meet regional needs. It can also be useful when searching for funding. Many grantors prefer collaborative projects. A work group remains operational until all the project goals are completed and all financial objectives are accounted for. The project is not completed until there is an official meeting to close the project. Less formal applications may be to request a subject matter expert to help the planning team understand techical decisions. That resource may be an engineer, consultant or anyone who can keep the planning process moving forward in the desired direction. Use of a shared resource may be periodic or a one-time need. That last post in this series focuses on resources sharing agreemments for financial and administration needs.

Rssource Sharing. Part 2

Logistics plays a vital role for businesses and organizations. Logistics handles transportation, lodging, event signage, equipment set up and more. They are described as the people who get stuff. A resource sharing agreement might allow use of trucks to bring in more tables and chairs. It could mean requesting access to a larger or more suitable facility on short notice. Other logistics examples include setting up equipment for a conference, live concert, a street fair, parade or a ball game.  Logistic can request 2-way radios or an amateur radio team to support the safety team. Logistics can activate agreements to provide large quantities of refreshments for guests.  Before setting up a resource sharing agreement, consider what to bring to the table. Reciprocity is expected. Agreements must be in writing, and outline compensation, returning equipment in pre-use condition minus normal wear and tear, and time frame and method for returning it. The third post in this series will address resource sharing agreements for planning needs.

Resource Sharing. Part 1

Resource sharing agreements allow businesses or organizations to share personnel to meet a surge. They are typically used in disaster situations, however concepts can be drawn and applied to other situations.  Examples include parking lot attendants, safety personnel, public information officers, kitchen help, a clean-up crew, a graphic artist, an auctioneer or any other applicable resource. A catering business may have a huge order and insufficient staff. This could cause the loss of a large agreement. Instead of losing to another company, set up a resource sharing agreement to call up staff from another catering business to meet the immediate need. The agreement would require the requesting organization to compensate the sending organization for wages and benefits, plus an agreed amount for administrative cost. This same concept may be applied to a floral shop, clinic, accounting firm or any other non-technical company or nonprofit. Churches and other nonprofits may need extra staff to register guests for an event, welcome or help seat guests. Many churches have an abundance and rotate musicians or volunteers where as others may be able to offer a  guest speaker. The second post in this series will address logistics sharing agreements.

Flexible Organizational Structure

The following concepts are based on FEMA’s Incident Command System (ICS). It was originated by the military and adopted by FEMA. The advantage is that only those sections needed to respond need to be stood up. That allows for a flexible structure that expands and contracts to meet the needs of the organization. ICS is also used to manage large events. Here are some basic lessons that can be applied to any small business or nonprofit.

Resources refer to equipment, facilities, and personnel. A resource is virtually anything that is needed to conduct business. There are four broad categories that define the ICS structure. The operations section includes personnel that carry out the work. The logistics department supports the other sections. They obtain equipment, food, lodging and anything else required to do the job. The planning section plans the work.

The finance and administration section sets the budget, includes procurement activities and tracks hours, compensation and benefits. To learn more go to http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.aspx

Now that a flexible organizational structure is clear, the next series of posts will be on setting up resource sharing agreements. This concept is also from FEMA. Refer to FEMA IS 703 in the preceding link to FEMA courses for more information on this topic.

Financial Concepts: Trigger Point Finance. Part 3

Is your small business or nonprofit experiencing a financial decline? Trigger point finance can help avert a financial crisis, but must be combined with other strategies for optimal effectiveness.  Before revenues plunge 30%-40% as we have observed in some instances, establish financial trigger points for 4%, 8% and 10%.

For each trigger point, develop a contingency plan that brings spending into alignment with revenues. The advantage is that each plan rolls out automatically. No urgent management or Board meetings are needed.  This frees decision makers up to focus on corrective actions to restore revenues. The first post in this series focused on how to pay it forward, by setting up a sinking fund for planned purchases. That was followed by introducing and redefining a real estate concept known as "highest and best" use. The next post will focus on how to set up a widely accepted organizational structure that expands and contracts with the needs of the organization.

Financial Concepts: Highest and Best Use. Part 2

This is a real estate term, however it can be applied to any business or nonprofit to save or generate revenue. It can be applied to running a business on a shoe string budget, use of space by nonprofits,  or to larger businesses with a big heart for the community.

Several years ago a member of our team observed six businesses operating comfortably out of a 14x30 foot space. They offered compatible services; therefore they were not competing for the same customers. By sharing space, they cut their operational expenses substantially. Another example of highest and best is wise allocation of existing space. If your business or organziation has rentable space, consider reconfiguring use of space to make best use of resources.

 

Two members of our team observed an free standing building suitable for community groups to rent. The space is currently used by two or three groups, a maximum of eight hours a week. The nonprofit makes an office space available for a 1 or 2 person organization. To obtain highest and best use of this resource, it would be wise for them to move the office space into their main building. This would allow them great flexiblility in renting the free standing space for additional revenue.

 

Highest and best use does not have to be motivated by revenue. One local business man had 14,000 square feet sitting empty. He asked God what he should do with it. The space is now home to over 30 nonprofit organizations who could not afford to pay for office space.  He charges $1.00 a year for rent. Not only has he reconfigured space, he has continued to allocate more space. He provides conference rooms, a shared reception area, a recording studio, cafeteria, exercise gym and more all at no cost. The business side had fourished, and the nonprofit side is an incredible resource for the community. This post completes our series on financial concepts. Our next post will address trigger point finance.

Financial Concepts: Pay It Forward. Part 1

This series of posts will be on financial concepts and strategies. Forecasting equipment needs or replacement is a good financial practice. Make a list of planned purchases. Consider alternatives to paying full price. Will newer, used equipment suffice or is repair a more cost-effective option than replacement?  Conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Make a list advantages on one side of the page and disadvantages on the other side.

Examples of advantages include:                                Disadvantages may include:

Higher visibility                                                               Paying an additional salary, hence higher cost     

Faster production                                                           Cost of training for new equipment
Increased efficiency                                                       Less human interaction with customers

Compare the advantages of making one purchase over another.  Prioritize according to operational importance and cost. Place planned purchases on a five, ten and fifteen year timeline. Establish a sinking fund to pay it forward by saving in equal installments. Make sure to index for inflation. The next post will be on highest and best use of resources.

Five Websites to Review

The following resources are provided for information only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of any product or service. Please exercise due diligence when using any resources posted here.

Venture Portland provides help for business districts.
http://ventureportland.org/

City of Portland Neighborhood Involvement. This website contains a map and information about district coalition offices. Each supports a group of neighborhood Associations
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/28390

Urban Ministry helps faith-based organizations helps match volunteers and find grant leads.
http://www.urbanministry.org/

 

Mission Increase helps faith-based organizations build capacity.

http://www.missionincrease.org/

 

US Census Bureau Quick Facts provides ready access to statistics that may be helpful for some grant proposals.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html

Grant Information for Secular Nonprofits

The last post was specific to faith-based organizations, yet most of the guidance also applies to secular nonprofits, so it is worth reviewing. This post focuses on the importance of understanding grant writing requirements and managing the fundamental processes needed to apply for a grant.

Before applying for a grant make sure you have set a foundation for success. Here are a few obstacles other organizations have encountered. The Board of one nonprofit start up delegated filing the nonprofit paperwork a board member. Most grants are submitted electronically. In some cases there is a built in process to cross reference the federal tax identification number to verify IRS nonprofit status. After three unsuccessful attempts, the message indicated the organization was not found in the IRS database, so it was impossible to proceed. After a brief investigation the Board learned the paperwork had not been filed. They also had made requests for donations stating they were a nonprofit organization (believing they were). Fortuneately they took prompt action to remedy the situation, and before their event took place their nonprofit status was granted. They also had a back up plan that would have worked if their nonprofit status hadn't come through in time.

Another organization had a small development team and a heavy workload. Although they had been operational for decades, received many grants and were part of a huge parent organization, they needed to adapt to changes in technology. Filing paper grants is rarely done, so they had to assemble necessary and customary documents in an electronic format.

The most difficult situation was a nonprofit that had obtained only one small grant in the past four years, and wanted a large capacity building grant. Consulting is often a prerequisite to successful grant funding. The Board struggled with fundamentals. They had no business plan at all, and only a vague idea of their goals. They were able to identify their funding needs, but had not established a track record and lacked the skills to manage a project timeline. They could not demonstrate other project support which is often an expectation. They did receive one small grant, but did not keep their end of the agreement. This lead to a reorganization of the Board and hiring someone with the expertise to help reposition them for success.

These observations are not intended as criticism, but they do highlight lessons learned. Understand the requirements and make sure the fundamentals are in place before applying for a grant.
The next post will be Five Websites to Review.

Faith-based Grants

Approximately one-third of grants in the United States are faith-based grants. That is great news for the faith community. Some grants are for Christian minstries and have broad guidelines, but many are also denomination specific or give a preference. One of the first things to rule out is geographic area. Applying for a grant for ministry needs on the West Coast from a grantor that only serves New Jersey or Tennessee doesn't work.

Although some grants are earmarked for the faith community, other grantors may provide funding if the ministry falls within the funding guidelines, serves the community and is in the foundation's geographic area.. Examples include food banks, nutrition programs, innovative programs to reduce obesity or compassionate health care, emergency housing, a teen center, the arts, gardening, the environment or sustainabilty.

If your program or project cost is $35K, it may take five grants to get it done. When researching for grants consider the funding limit of each grantor and what aspect of a project they are most likely to fund. After reading the instructions four times contact the foundation to find out if the grantor is interested in the proposal. Expect to write at least five grants for every one that is funded. If your organization is small, has an inadequate track record or lacks manpower, expertise or finances to hire a grant writer, consider working with project partners. Each project partner must have some decision making authority and bring something to the table. The project group is assembled before the grant is written, lays out a strategy, identifies who will manage the grant and how funds will be allocated. All project participants manage their own budget and report to the grant manager. The grant manager assembles all the information, gains approval from management and submits the grant. The same process applies to the evaluation and reporting process. A little creativity goes a long way. The next post will address secular nonprofit organizations.

Is Your Organization Grant Ready?

How many grants has your organization received in the past four years?
If the answer is none, or sparse, it's time to do some homework.
Homework assignment will vary depending on whether the organization has established a track record. Does your organization have cash sponsors or corporate donors?

Small and large organizations struggle to get aspects of their plan together. Here are some very general questions. Do you know how to write outcome measures? What kind of statistics are tracked? Can your team manage a project timeline? Is your funding plan reasonable? How will you demonstrate fiscal responsibility?

Make sure to have a copy of nonprofit status, tax identification number and other documents to send as attachments.

Set up a simple form to track research. Use the research to decide if the organization meets the grantors funding guidelines and other pertinent information.

Determine if the grantor accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry or full grant proposals. What are the grant reporting requirements?

There are different types of grants-program, project, operational funding, capital projects, capacity building grants, technology, equipment and mathing grants to name a few. Most do not fund 100% the identified need. Be prepared to submit required figures, ratios, corresponding budgets if requested, and a list of other supporters.

What Drives Our Interests?

What is your ministry curricula based on? Yesterday a public servant asked that question. My answer is that research informs our practice, but does not define it. So what exactly does that mean? Just to clarify, some of our work is just plain individuallly tailored problem solving. Workshops or training does involve curricula design and we tailor these services to meet the organizations needs.

Barna Research Group identifies four things churches consistently do poorly on. That provided a good foundation.

We read and draw on diverse research, lessons learned and life experience. Then we listen, observe and assemble information about resources learned through extensive networking to benefit those we serve.

A few sources used individually and corporately include:

• Pertinent research in Christianity Today. There are many articles on disaster, business continuity and risk management.
• Risk management recommendations from insurance companies.
• ABC's of Church Management.
• Read several disaster plans ranging from national denominational plans, to college and university plans to county and city plans.  
• Personal interviews with emergency management professionals and faith-based leaders in the field.
• Observation and volunteer work in disaster warehouse.
• Exposure to the emergency management field while working in a limited duration position for the City.
• Volunteer experience with American Red Cross
• Over 200 years of combined experience with the faith community, and exposure to several faith traditions and cultures.
• Work on a plan for a District office that supports fifty churches.
• Help with strategies to reverse a negative financial trend, improve evaluation processes, raise organizational visibility, leverage donations, negotiate a nonprofit discount, overcome employee resistence, obtain answers to tax questions, identify alternatives to high bank fees and more.
• Extensive post-masters education and a dozen Red Cross classes and about eighty FEMA and FEMA consortium courses.
• On-line courses through Columbia University graduate public health education.  
• We also read alternative materials such as serious gardening magazines, peruse websites, read up on how to live off the grid, not because we are survivalists, but because there are practical lessons that can be applied to what we do.

 

When disasters happen, we review news accounts, follow websites, listen to credible sources on the ground and capture lessons learned. Any thing related to disaster preparedness involves continuous evaluation and improvement.

 

What drives our interest?

First our primary interest in NOT in disasters, it is resilience and helping organizations improve their capacity to serve in good times, but also during adverse conditions. Our family was deeply affected by three tragic work-related disasters. We've also been impacted by other critical life events and learned from others' experiences. One of the lessons we've learned is that a person cannot always control what happens in life, but they can add resilience. Resilience is a protective factor against the effects of disaster, but it is also protective in other ways. Our prayer is that no person should suffer needlessly. Resillient employees recover more quickly and completely.

 

What does that look like at the organizational level?

Disasters don't have to be big to be devastating. Policies and procedures, having adequate safety plans in place, and building a resilient workforce help prevent disasters or or reduce the impact. Risk management and succession plans help organizations act responsibly and improve their capacity to serve under adverse conditions. There are several blog posts on what small businesses, churches and other nonprofits can do to improve employee resilience, improve the entity's sustainabilty and empower vulnerable residents.

To learn more about what we do, look under our "Services" tab. Read our story under the "About Us" tab.

Learn to Earn

Many nonprofits are volunteer driven. For those who have the means to support themselves volunteering provides satisfaction. Some people have a deep desire to give back or make a difference in the world. It  allows others to showcase new skills to help them to transition to a new job. Whatever their motivation, volunteers are a great resource for nonprofits.

A way nonprofits can make a difference is to create a fast track for those with employment barriers to enter or reenter the workforce. There is a seemingly endless number of barriers to obtaining gainful employment. Let's examine a few.

Sally is a 26 year old single mother of a 14 month baby girl. She has no family support or transportation. Last year she and her baby were homeless, so they moved in with a man she did not know who offered shelter from the cold. After three weeks Sally learned he expected more in return than she wanted to give, so when he was at work she packed her small bag, and walked into local church to ask for help. All they could offer was a cup of coffee, a listening ear and access to a telephone and a phone book. She called 6 nonprofits looking for housing. None had an opening. In her desperation she decided to panhandle and was able to get enough cash together to get into a motel for 2 nights. Her cardboard sign read "Need money for motel." The second line read "DESPERATE!" After three months on a waiting list she and her baby got into a program to help her obtain housing. In the interim she learned to solve problems by panhandling, couch surfing, and sleeping a few nights with her baby in a public restroom. They got by but had to keep moving around. Sally rarely knew if she would be able to provide a safe place for her baby. She worried authorities would take her away if they knew she was homeless.

Sally's story is not unique. Some variation of it is replayed every day in Portland.
What if instead the church asked Sally, "what do you need to overcome homelessness"? The obvious answer is "money". The next logical question is "what are your options for obtaining money?

Rather than pointing Sally to another resource, let her learn to earn. The first objective is to find out what Sally knows how to do. If she is willing, the church or any nonprofit could allow Sally to show what she can do by performing any tasks she can such as folding bulletins, decorating a bulletin board, collating materials, or decorating tables for a special event. This allows for an assessment of Sally's skills, her willingness and demeanor. It also allows for observation about how she interacts with her baby and prioritizes her assignments. After they got acquainted better they learned that Sally had left the baby's father with $4.30 in her pockets due to abuse. She didn't have much of a plan, but knew she couldn't stay there.

Early in the game, draw on a pool of emergency financial resources provided by small businesses and nonprofits to reserve  a motel room. This might be accomplished with a voucher. Provide a sack lunch and no cook breakfast items. Give two sets of bus tickets, one to get to the motel and the other to return to work the next day. Upon arrival on day two, provide Sally with a letter of recommendation.

Small businesses and nonprofits have the opportunity to work together instead of competitively to help people like Sally. The idea is to identify available temporary work assignments within a network of small businesses and nonprofits and after a brief assessment to refer those who need work to fill brief assignments. If the person is unable to perform the work, rather than firing her, reassign her to another position within the network. There are many unskilled or semi-skilled tasks a candidate could perform. Instead of mundane labor such as sweeping or weeding, provide jobs that document or build transferrable skills such as 1. talk with teenagers about relationship hazards and how to avoid them 2. be a companion to a senior is a group setting 3. help plan or decorate for an upcoming event. 4. assist with setup of sound equipment. In a small business setting  options might include helping with a direct mail campaign or light assembly work.

If casual converations with Sally had revealed serious underlying problems or if observations were she is unwilling to accept direction, a more appropriate offer would be pre-vocational training. It wouldn't solve her immediate housing needs, but through a solid relationship she might be referred to social activities where she and her baby could come regularly as part of an neighborhood safety net. Trusted relationship may in time pave the way for improvement of life choices. The goal is to help those who are willing to find their way back and beome more resilient.

Empowering Vulnerable Residents

Portland is a great city unless you are one of people who lack access to life's most basic resources.

Portland ranks high in fitness, number of bicyclists per capita, and number of nonprofits. It also ranks high on best eateries, has a great art community, nice parks and walking trails.

Portland also ranks among the worst for hunger, homelessness, sex trafficking and strip clubs.
The I-5 and I-84 corridors contribute to the problem.

Many small businesses and nonprofits work diligently to help bridge the gap by providing needed funding and resources to help those who need it most. However help does not always reach that population for a variety of reasons.

Athough motorists see many who purport to be homeless it is difficult to determine legitimate need.
Compassion fatigue occurs when nice people get worn out. Others have become jaded because of a bad experience.

Here are a few recommendations to help vulnerable persons improve resilience:
1. Broker cooperative agreements with officials to plant and maintain edible landscape on public lands for public benefit. Allow persons in need to glean or work alongside others to obtain food.
2. Provide neighborhood distribution centers through a designated "caring house" similar to the old block house program in cooperation with the existing neighborhood association. Alternately, many neighborhoods have access to a locked storage unit from which resources could be distributed on set hours and days around the city on a referral or walk-in basis
3. Improve access to free mobile medical and dental clinics to vulnerable populations.
4. Create a safety net within the City through open dialogue and public education and circulate the information to about safe places to businesses, churches, schools and nonprofits.

A Farm in the City

Today we visited Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego.

Several themes surfaced as we queried gardeners, pondered inner city social problems, mismanaged open spaces, and photographed the garden.

Garden Art #1

First we appreciated garden art, and the artistic flare of some gardeners. Second, was the lengths gardeners went to in order to hasten growth or extend the season. Next, was the creative means of depriving rabbits and deer from devouring their garden treasures. We observed one serious mixologist-he had a barrel and other containers and was obviously cooking up some serious compost teas to feed his grateful plants.



Garden Art#2



Extending the Growing Season



No Critters Allowed



Compost Tea Feeds Plants

Contast that with encountering dozens of men and women holding cardboard signs reading "Anything helps", "Will work for food", "Need food for me and my girl" etc., and vast unused spaces that could be planted with edible landscape. Just what is edible landscape? Blueberries, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, columnar fruit trees are just a few low maintenence plants that could beautify the road side, and serve a dual purpose-feeding the hungry.

Artichokes: Attractive Fruit Grows on Top

Some might argue that fruit is messy. My counter would be first, that weeds are not very pleasing to look at either. At least when fruit drops, animals can eat it. A more practical argument is who will water the plants? The same problem exists with ornamental trees and shrubs. There are a few possible answers. First, have a group adopt and care for a specific area. Second, plant items suited for the Northwest. Lastly, prepare the ground well, and use soil conservation methods to prevent erosion and conserve water.



Long Lasting Asparagus: Fern Stage

Simple Living: Exploring Mt. Hood National Forest. Part 2

Cabin Retreat

Along our travels we got out of our car to admire a quaint one room cabin. The owners graciously invited in and allowed us to photograph inside. The setting was an oasis-simple, and peaceful. Though the cabin was a small retreat space, the outdoor living areas expanded to include a deck with a spectacular view, sauna, wheel chair ramp to the patio with fireplace pit, tasteful carport which could be put to many recreational uses, and tool storage.

Kitchen:Granite and Pine

Bears Inside and Out

Privacy Sauna and Porch Swing with Amazing View

Simple Living: Lolo Pass from Hood River to Zig Zag. Part 1



Wildflower at Lolo Pass

Yesterday some of our team traveled over Lolo Pass from Hood River to Zig Zag, Oregon. Foxglove, daisies, lupine and other wild flowers dotted the road side. We watched with delight as a doe and her fawns sprang like rabbits across the narrow road disappearing into the forest. We were on a quest for historical information and made some inquiries of the locals.





Then we photographed a breath taking view of Trillium Lake against the the Mt. Hood Forest. This trip took us back to memories of our youth. Although we have reached the age of maturity, we are still making new memories.







Trillium Lake-Mt. Hood National Forest









Trailhead #2

Resilience: Elder and Childcare. Part 3

The first two posts in this series dealt with two other concerns that reduce employee resilience: financial distress and health problems. The last post is on the effects of elder and childcare.
The pressure is on. Families are juggling work, caring for their aged parents, and sometimes for children simultaneously. Alzheimers or dementia are on the rise. Alzheimers has been referred to as type 3 diabetes. Cancer, parkinsons or multiple schlerosis also rob senior citizens of their freedom and sometimes their dignity. How can an employee perform well at work, when their mind is on what is happening at home?

For a family with two or several children, child care costs diminish any retained earnings that a tax hike, health care dollar or inflation spared.

Compassion and a listening ear help employees ventilate frustrations. Allowing employees to work flexible hours can reduce cost if there is someone else in the household that can take a shift at home.
Equipping elderly persons with an emergency assistive device to summon emergency help can reduce anxiety. Some churches employ a parish nurse. Employees who are affiliated may access additional support which ranges from checking on elders to providing home-based foot care. Resource sharing agreements may provide free access to medical equipment loans. Encourage caregiving support groups and invite special speakers. Consider forming several long term support teams to help co-workers by running errands, bringing in meals, and tackling service projects such as painting, minor repairs or yard work. Finally offer human contact and respite services. Eldercare is often isolating. It is difficult for caregivers to keep pace with their peers. Consider bringing activities there such as a game or movie night. Finally, offer to spend quality time with aging parents, to give caregivers a night out with friends or a day at the spa.

On-site day cares or after school programs can help reduce anxiety and contain cost. Host a parents night out once a month and staff it with employees who pass a background check, and have some training in child development. Children may be a great resource for helping elders. To support parents, consider a quarterly clothing swap, or book sharing club. Team building activities such as rafting or beach trips allows opportunities for kids to get to know each other. This can be a type of extended family. As co-workers get to know each other outside of work, they may form various types of informal support networks. When a critical event happens in a family, closer relationships may make it easier to ask for or accept support. Many difficulties can cause children to derail developmentally such as a sudden acute illness or injury, sudden death, being forced to move to a new house or school, becoming the victim of violent crime or bullying. Early identification and support can help children cope and reduce the long term impact. Employees who have no family in the area, single parents or those with little support benefit from a family friendly work environment. For children it can become an important safety net.

Resilience: Five Steps to Better Health. Part 2

Lower Stress and Add Balance
This series is about three common problems that reduce employee resilience: Financial problems, health, mental health or substance abuse; and elder or child care. This post is about things an employer can do to promote a healthy work place. Research indicates over 90% of physical illnesses are caused or worsened by stress. Stress is also a key factor in managing mental health problems. Missed days add up to big problems in the work place. Some employees are like a diehard battery. No matter what happens they just keep going. That isn't good either. Sick or impaired employees can't function well. They should be home recuperating or have a modifed work assignment to maintain optimal health. So how does an employer handle this balancing act? Employers can't prevent employees from getting sick, but they an add balanced options to help them stay healthier.

Take an Interest in What Interests Employees
Team building is great way to put most people at ease. Every group is different, so tailor activities around their interests. This may a raft or beach trip for employees and their families, square dancing or a business amatuer radio club serving the community. Whatever it is, employees need a chance to let down, spend time in other environments and develop long term friendships.

Encourage Activity and Fun
Invite naturepaths and nutritionists into the work place to give talks about alternative medicine, Subsidize gym memberships, have an on-site gym, a walking group, a bicycle club or basket ball team. Make sure employees have a physical before participating in any work related exercise programs. Offer classes in first aid, CPR and the use of an AED. Offer blood pressure and other health screening clinics for early detection of medical problems. And remember laughter is good medicine, so encourage good, clean humor. Host a talent show.

Offer Informational About Affordable Alternatives
Western medicine has its place, but there are effective, lower cost alternatives depending on the type of problem. Early identification and treatment is always preferable to costly delays. Acupuncture is very effective for pain relief, but it isn't a quick cure. It has no negative side effects. A practitioner may recommend two or three sesssions a week depending on the situation. This may seem excessive, but that is how acupuncture works. Community acupuncture is the type practiced in China, but it has only become popular in the United States in the past few years. It is a great option that creates affordable access to those who need it. For us it was life changing and life giving.

Offer Support
Make sure there are no environmental or relational problems that are causing distress or health problems. In the absence of such factors, linking employees to support groups may help. Information may be posted on bulletin boards or in restrooms, announced electronically or shared in meetings. It should never be directed at an individual or specific problem. Instead it should be part of an overall education and support program.

Examples of resources include:
Caregiver's support group
Respite resources
Chronic pain management information
Mental health support groups
Grief groups
Chaplaincy for spiritual counseling or a list of churches
Drug and alcohol recovery self-help groups
Domestic violence and sexual assault hotlines
Suicide hotlines
Veteran's hotlines
Parenting resources
Parenting crisis hotlines
Marriage and divorce resources
Legal  resources
Disability resources
Emergency housing hotlines
List of emergency food banks and free clinics
Pregancy resources

Resilience: Financial Education at Work. Part 1

Employers have a moral responsibilty to help employees develop financial resilience. How many employees, and co-workers are stifled with personal debt? This series will address three common situations that quickly affect employee resilience: personal debt,  physical or mental health problems including substance abuse and elder or child care costs. Here are some good guidelines to help individuals manage debt.

Always pay cash if possible unless the debt provides a clear and distinct tax benefit or leverages the employee into a better financial situation within 12 months. Avoid get rich schemes. If dept is already a problem, sharply cut discretionary expenses, and allocate the savings to pay off debt. Repay debts using one of two strategies: pay the debt with the highest interest rate or pay the smallest debt first. The rationale for the latter is to free up extra money to accelerate payment on another debt. Accelarate payments on one debt at a time to reduce the number of outstanding debts. Employers can provide access to publications about the financial cost of debt and resources or post simple signs. Here is one example:

Ten Financial Warning Signs
Payday or other high interest loans
Gambing and lottery tickets
Not tithing or giving to charity
Paying the minimum payment
High debt to income ratio
Borrowing money to pay off loans
Late or deferred payments
Running low on cash between paydays
No emergency fund
Not contributing toward retirement

It isn't enough to identify warning signs, employers may gather useful information to help educate employees, allow employees to organize and share ideas on cutting costs, avoiding common pitfalls, and explain what they are doing to overcome challenges. Invite speakers to come and talk about bartering, micro enterprise, money management, or lessons learned or how they achieved their financial goals.

Urban Solutions: Ministry, Math and Melissa Data

The last post was on Urban Solutions: Creating Strategic Ministry Partnerships. If you have read our mission and vision statement, you already understand that our focus is on helping small businesses, churches and other nonprofits improve their capacity to serve others. Our premise is that employees and members must improve their own resilience in order to improve sustainability. We cannot afford to operate in isolation. Instead we need to transition to a model of healthy interdependence.

So let’s breathe some life into this by understanding the big picture. Once church leadership teams help their members understand how to implement this simple concept in their neighborhood, the steps are repeatable. Try to imagine this. Oregon has 36 counties, 471 zip codes and 1,349 profiles on populated areas. In the City of Portland alone there are over 1,200 Christian churches. By building on the work of the US Postal Service, internet maps and databases, coordination and measuring outcomes at the neighborhood is both realistic and necessary. Here is an example of what how to bring this idea down to the neighborhood level.

First, figure out which of neighborhoods are in your zip code. Then find a map of the neighborhood and identify your location on the neighborhood map. The last step is to dentify several homes and make a commitment to develop some level of relationship with someone in each household. Since that represents such a diverse area, divide the neighborhood into ten sections with the goal of developing a relationship with at least one person in each of the ten sections. If this seems like a daunting task, enlist the help of ministry partners by using entering "nonprofit organization lookup". Melissa Data allows users to enter a zip code to identify all nonprofits within that zip code. This allows church leadership teams to build strategic partnerships closest to them and build out thir resource list in concentric circles.

Urban Solutions: Creating Strategic Ministry Partnerships

Working with ministry partners requires a healthy infrastructure. 1. First, know how to find ministry partners, learn what they are doing and how to support them. Second, map where the resources are, be willing to share information, and cooperate with each other by lending material resources, manpower or expertise so all members are equipped for ministry. Third, recreation and leisure opportunities need to be extended to attendees of other churches and to the community. Finally, work with partners to create a seamless response to persons in neighborhood. No organization can do that without communication and cooperation.

There are many ways you can serve your neighbors within existing structures.

One way is to encourage members to serve the neighborhood association president. This role puts members in direct contact with the City, and other neighborhood association presidents which provides an instant network. Most neighborhood associations have a newsletter. Members may become a conduit of information that helps link neighbors to vital resources? Other members can serve on the Board of the neighborhood association.

Start an awareness campaign and enlist members to serve on a neighborhood watch team or become a block captain. This provides the opportunity to develop relationships with every person on the block and with the neighborhood police officer. Block captains meet with each other and this puts members in contact with someone on every block served within the neighborhood.

A third way to serve is through CERT which stands for Citizen Emergency Response Team. CERT training is offered free or at a nominal cost through some local fire departments or county emergency management offices. This allows members to become part of a network to serve your neighbors in times of disaster. Neighbors are defined as any person or organization in your neighborhood including schools, churches and care facilities. In some cities, CERT is called NET which stands for Neighborhood Emergency Team.

Churches, faith-based organizations and businesses and individuals can all play a role by setting up agreements to serve neighbors in times of need. 

CERT team sizes up the situation




Cribbing and Shoring Practice at CERT training



Feeding Soil: The Secret to High Quality Food

This series has addressed relationship-based nutrition practices, and fall garden tips. Feeding the soil is often an after thought. Soil is a living breathing organism, that must be fed and what we feed soil determines the quality of the food we eat. Feeding the soil is both art and science. Each time plants are grown nutrients are taken from the soil. In order to grow healthy plants the nutrients must be replenished.

Composting is a process that can take months. It can also be unsightly, but there are other ways to feed the soil. This post addresses three methods: trench composting, cover crops and adding free nutrient rich ingredients. Trench composing is the process of digging a trench or series of holes in a line and burying food waste, crushed egg shells, ground oyster shells, very small amounts of clean hardwood ash, coffee grounds and compostable paper then covering it. A cover crop may be a legume (such as beans or peas), red clover, buckwheat or rye grass. It is grown to add nitrogen and organic material to the soil and is often part of a rotation system. For instance if a company has four raised beds, three may be growing herbs, vegetables or small fruit and the fourth may be growing a cover crop to improve the soil. Each season a different bed is enriched. Lastly, nutrient rich organic matter may be added any time of year. Examples include unsprayed decomposing grass, fall leaves, shredded hedge or bush trimmings, washed seaweed, glue free sawdust, black and white newpaper, shredded cardboard, coffee grounds, and composted chicken or rabbit manure.

The science is that plants require a balance of nitrogen, phosporus and potassium in addition to small amounts of trace minerals. Good sources of free nitrogen include cover crops which are turned back into the soil while they are still green, composed animal manure, and coffee grounds. Organic food waste and grantite dust are good sources of free phosphorus. Composted food waste or fruit pulp is water soluable and a ready source of phosphorus whereas granite dust, because it is ground rock is released slowly into the soil. Hardwood ashes used sparingly can be worked into the soil and is a good source of potash. Composted leaves are one of natures best free sources of balanced trace minerals. This is because tree roots uptake nutrients reaching deep into the soil substructure and these trace minerals are present in the trees leaves. Not all leaves are created equally. Stay away from waxy  leaves or black walnut leaves. The former do not decompose well and will mat, while the latter exude a toxic substance that may interfere with plant growth. Maple leaves are probably the best, but leaves with a papery, crumbly texure will do. Leaves can be easily ground with a mulching lawn mower. They can dumped, then ground at a community garden site, or ground and bagged to add to raised beds.

Organic ingredients improve soil tilth. Tilth refers to the condition of the soil. Good soil tilth is essential to sustain healthy plant growth. Soil should be teeming with microorganisms, and earthworms. Earthworms digest organic matter leaving nutrient rich castings. Their burrowing activity also aerates the soil. For crops to grow soil must be within a preferred ph range, hold moisture adequately and drain well. Every living thing prefers a ph range including the human body. The ph scale ranges from 0 to 14, and 7 is neutral. Below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Most plants prefer a mildly acidic level of 6.5. There is some slight variation between 5.5 which is considered very acidic for plants and 7.5 which is considered very alkaline. In broad terms berries and potatoes prefer a more acidic soil. Most vegetables prefer a ph level of 6 to 6.8. Ph affects a plants ability to uptake needed nutrients even if they are present in the soil. Just remember that free, natural ingredients are likely to produce a good result. If however, plants do not perform well testing ph and amending it if necessary can improve results. Ph is easily corrected.





Fall Garden Tips: Counting Backwards

The last article focused on relationship-based nutrition practices in the work place. Good nutrition begins with good food. There are many benefits to gardening in the work place. Many Northerners have a vitamin D deficiency, so getting outdoors for a few minute each day offers health benefits. A break in routine may also increase productivity. However the reasons go much deeper.

The goal is to improve employee resilience and organizational sustainability. How does gardening help? Consider the garden a training exercise for those who might not have any idea how to garden. In addition, to the social benefits, if integrated wtih a relationship-based nutrition program, produce can be used to make vegetable trays, salads and nutritious soups at work. Employees that have good eating habits are less prone to snack on junk food. A healthy workforce is a more resilient work force. In addition to enjoying better health, they may be more inclined to garden at home.

For nonprofits that already provide garden space, the next step is to encourage planting a Fall garden.  This is the perfect time. It just requires basic subtraction. Look at the back of a  package of leafy greens such as lettuce. The package gives the number of days to maturity. Our average frost date is approximately mid-October, but it does vary considerably. For an optimal Fall harvest choose a harvest date, then count back the number of days and add 10%. Lets use pole peas as our example. Most pole peas take about 70 days to maturity, add ten percent and count 77 days to the desired harvest date. . If the desire is to begin harvesting September 16th, peas should be planted today. Peas will continue until frost. Any root crop or leafy vegetable can be planted for Fall. Broccoli and chinese cabbage and bok choy are also good prospects. The 4th of July is considered the last planting date for short season potatoes. Parsnips and rutabegas take 90 days to mature. Carrot packages say 70 days, but often need 90 days in this climate. Now is the time to plant them. Full grown carrots can be harvested directly from the garden for months. This is also a good time to plant Fall beets. Leafy vegetables such as kale, chard, lettuce, spinanch, and mesclun are very easy to grow. Kale and chard often winter over. Lettuce, spinach and mesclun  can be sewn now and every two weeks until mid-August for a continuous supply.

Lets revisit the concept of subtraction. Begin with the harvest date, then look at the seed packet. Count backwards from date you want to harvest to determine when seeds should be planted. Since mesclun takes about 30 days, if we want a harvest date of Sept. 1st, we would count back 30 days +10% or 33 days to determine our planting date. If we want to harvest Chinese cabbage on September 10th, count back 60 days + 10% or 66 days. Just tamp tiny seeds into the soil with the back of a spade. For slightly larger seeds such as radishes, only cover them twice the depth of the seed. Seeds that are planted too deep may not germinate. Keep seeds moist so they don't dry out during hot summer days by misting them well 2 or 3 times a day. If seeds come to the top of the soil surface, just poke them back down. It's that simple. By Fall it could look like this

Relatonship-based Nutrition Practices

In a culture of over indulgence, fast food, emotional eating and busyness, self-care and good nutrition have taken a back seat. Obesity levels have reached every age group. Exhausted working mothers may serve up hamburgers or pizza and receive applause. Employers can help by promoting relationship-based, hands-on nutrition practices in the work place. This can range from a demonstration on sprouting grains, to bread making, healthy nutrition bars, juicing or dehydrating foods.

Have you considered adding just one raised bed? Employees with gardening knowledge can teach others how to grow anything from salad greens and annual herbs to tomatoes or cabbage for kraut. 

Try offering a fruit dehydrator. It takes only a few minutes before a shift to add fruit to a dehydrator and many items such as apples or pears would be dry by the end of an eight hour shift. These snacks may be eaten on the way home to help boost energy, before work for those who skipped breakfast or as a mid-day pick me up. Think about providing a vacuum pack machine to keep a portion of dehydrated food as part of an emergency food supply for disaster preparedness.

How does this improve nutrition practices? Instead of a coke machine, consider adding a self-serve smoothie bar stocked with fresh fruit. Provide refrigerator space for fresh prepared vegetables or salads. Nuts are also a good option for those who are not allergic. When employees participate in growing and food preparation at work, they may be more likely to try it at home. The social benefits are just as important. Consider the relationships that can be built by planting a few seeds, harvesting, sharing meals, exchanging information or recipes and gaining new skills.

One of our traditions is pressing cider each Fall. We purchase 1-2 orchard boxes of apples, wash and sort, fill the hopper, press the cider, pasteurize and bottle it. This press is an original design



Hydraulic Cider press

Pressing Cider