Newest Shared-Living Idea!

I'm currently exploring a new shared living idea. There are many churches on the market as participation in religious services is down. So what about converting a church into condos with community space? The parking areas could be converted to garden space, there would be a shared workout room, maybe a community kitchen, shared outdoor areas, etc.

Churches are found in all kinds of neighborhoods and urban areas. They are often large and have interesting architecture. I watched a Selling New York segment where someone had done this very thing. It was an interesting and beautiful conversion.

On the negative side - my husband. He says I need to find investors up front. That's what I get for marrying a man in finance. Always looking for ways to pop my bubble with the pinprick of reality.

So just as an informal poll - how many of you would be interested in living like this? I'm not asking ANYONE to invest! This is just a beginning point. It may not be a church - it could be some other kind of building. But I'm just curious to know if any of you have ever thought you would like to live with others in a shared-living environment of like-minded people.

I'll put a poll up on the sidebar for a couple of weeks, just for fun.

Entrepreneurship

Our family is currently exploring the idea of starting a couple of different businesses. Several ideas are being floated, and nothing is firm yet, but the energy is flowing and ideas are popping.

We come into this with a variety of skills and experience in a number of fields - finance, research, investor relations, accounting, management, computer modeling, experience with start-ups, resource development, alternative energy, human development, psychology, human relations, marketing, teaching, cooking, writing.

Surely we can create a business opportunity, don't you think?

If fact, I would bet that you have family and/or friends that come with a variety of skill sets that create something completely different when you put them all together. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

I would also bet that same set of family/friends have some great ideas - just simmering on the back burner.

New ideas, new businesses, fresh starts. I think we're going to have create our own opportunities in the future. Maybe we can do it the way it should be done - with mindfullness, gratitude, and environmental awareness. 

Bright Neighbor

CMN had this little video on a community farming project. I had to laugh because as I was watching it I realized it was in Portland (OR) - which is where our girls live, and home to a very forward-thinking group mentality. The clip includes ideas on how to start an urban shared-resources community, which you know is near and dear to my heart. The young man's enthusiasm is contagious. I love the hoot he lets out at the end. :-)

I'm also working with a friend on this type of community for women who are trying to kick addiction and take care of their children. It is only in the ideas stage, but I'm excited about the possibilities.

Sharing resources is going to be something we take very seriously in the future. We need to find a way to feed, shelter, and employ people in a way that utilizes our innate skills. Some people love to cook, some love to garden, some love children and are good care-providers, some are good at fixing things. All of these skills are valuable in a shared-resources community.



In his new book, Someplace Like America: Tales From The New Great Depression, writer Dale Maharidge, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and professor at Columbia University, writes:

One thing I’ve discovered in all these years of hearing Americans talk about their lives and dreams is that collectively we are strong. We are survivors. We emerged from hard times in the 1930s. We will do so again and will begin the long process of rebuilding an economy that works for everyone, but this can happen only if we relearn some lessons about caring for and relying on one another. And relearn we will, for we have no other choice.


The reality is that we're on our own. We cannot look to government to fix these problems because our elected officials are nothing more than a function of the money flowing in to Washington, which is not coming from people out of work, destitute, and homeless.

But one thing we do have is each other. And we have American ingenuity, a strong work ethic, and the ability to reinvent ourselves. So don't count us out just yet.

For more on Bright Neighbor go here.