One of the most rewarding things is when an idea you are working on continues to offer reminders of why you are working on it. I needed a ladder to reach a gutter to clean it out and I didn’t that was tall enough, so I searched for one on OhSoWe. There were no ladders close enough that met my needs (I needed a 10 to 12′ ladder.), so I posted a Need.
Well, about 7 of my neighbors responded to the Need I posted and to let me know they had a ladder I could borrow. So I arranged to pick it up from a neighbor, Tracy, 0.05 Miles from me (or across the street and 2 doors down). I stopped by and met a new neighbor! Turns out Tracy has owned the home for 11 years and has a roommate (Christine) that has lived their for 5 years. I got to learn a bit about their backgrounds, what they did for a living and we had a pleasant conversation.
I borrowed the ladder, used it for about 20 minutes and returned it. So, I saved money by not buying a new ladder, I helped save the planet by not adding more stuff, I got to make a connection with a new (to me) neighbor and they got the satisfaction of helping someone without it costing them anything. It was all around a perfect interaction and the kind that OhSoWe has the potential to have between neighbors everywhere. Prior to her responding on OhSoWe to my Need, I would have had no idea she had a ladder I could use.
This year, we’ve seen Mutual Aid in Motion.
From scaling sharing hubs to Mutual Aid 101 trainings, we’re helping communities build the tools they need.
Every dollar fuels lasting resilience – proving that when we move together, we all move forward.
This is a great example showing that because OhSoWe was in place in our neighborhood, there was no need for me to spend money to buy a ladder. An efficient platform to make it easier for neighbors to borrow and share items, help make neighbors more connected, save money and increase quality of life, while having a positive environmental and social impact.
What do you Need that your neighbors might have?
Enter the Minisaga competition – $1,000 in Cash Prizes here.
Is your block club or neighborhood association (neighborstead) doing some great things you are willing to share? If so, let us know via comments below, email us at feedback@ohsowe.com or jump to our contact us page. Follow us on Twitter or find out more about OhSoWe.com here.
