“Some look at things that are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask, ‘why not’?”

– George Bernard Shaw

Hi everyone! We are looking forward to this year. We started it off on a good foot by hosting the Grand Aspirations January Gathering for six local programs across the country here in Hapeville. We learned how other programs have been able to effectively carry out their missions, whether it was urban farming, weatherizing homes to improve energy efficiency, or revitalizing their local communities.

Two key ideas that we have been left thinking over came up in the open space designed for discussion on the last day of the gathering. One idea was the concept of cross-pollination between the programs: What would happen if we decide to visit each other over the summer and see what our fellow programs are doing? We can learn new practices, create communities across programs, and encourage each other as we take steps to change our world!

Another idea that has really stuck to us has to do with the potential of turning our projects into economically sustainable business models. We all love what we do, and most of us look forward to when it’s time to go home from our regular jobs. At the same time, we believe in the extent of impact of the work we are doing in our projects. What are your thoughts on this? Do let us know!

Like the author of the quote above, we are asking the question of “why not”? We really can do something to make life better for everyone and protect our Earth. Here are some ideas we’ve been batting around:

• Starting extremely local farmer’s markets- maybe one every few blocks, so people in the area can easily walk to get fresh groceries every day
• Buying or leasing empty lots in neighborhoods or urban areas for farming purposes
• Volunteering to assist with city beautification projects to become part of neighborhoods
• Learning Spanish so we can better interact with all our neighbors
• Bringing kids from elementary, middle, and high schools together to create scripts for plays and musicals that bring home the message of togetherness and caring for the Earth
• Selling so many tickets to our top notch quality theater shows that we sell out every night!
• Using the proceeds from our shows to help finance our Backyard-Swap program, which helps neighbors to garden together in each others’ backyards and produce enough food to feed their families

We are just getting started and would love to hear from you. What ideas does this post give you? What have you learned from working on ideas like these? Thank you and have a great day!!