Resolve to Get Involved:
Equal Dollars Welcomes 2013
January 2013
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Greetings!
Happy New Year from Equal Dollars! In case you missed our 2012 Year in Review letter to our members, check it out below:
As 2012 winds down and we look forward to a new year, we here at Equal Dollars have been reflecting on the amazing accomplishments we've made together and also the friendships we've formed along the way.
With the help of our many volunteers, Equal Dollars was able to start a local farm to bring fresh produce to an under served area of the city. Our Food Market selection expanded to also include fresh produce grown by family farmers in Lancaster. In addition, we opened two new Food Markets in Strawberry Mansion and Feltonville to serve more of our members.
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 Equal Dollars Awarded $10,000 by AARP & InnoCentive "Drive to End Hunger" Campaign Equal Dollars recognized for our ability to combat food insecurity among older Philadelphians.
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Earlier this month, the Equal Dollars team was honored to receive a $10,000 award from the AARP/ InnoCentive Drive to End Hunger- Sustainable Solutions campaign. InnoCentive and the AARP selected Equal Dollars for this award out of a total of 519 applicants due to our ideas and efforts to combat hunger among aging populations in Philadelphia in a sustainable and dignified fashion. Many volunteers within the Equal Dollars system take great strides to care for elders in their communities that are no longer able to shop or cook for themselves.
Click Here to Read More...
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Local Currency Highlight: Bristol Pounds British city adopts a new community currency
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One of the largest experiments with local, alternative economies is now underway in Bristol, England, where an entire city has agreed to come together through the use of a community currency that they are appropriately calling the "Bristol Pound." Much like Equal Dollars, the implementation of the Bristol Pound encourages citizens to shop local and keep money circulating within their community rather than allowing it to "leak" out to foreign destinations.
In an effort to demonstrate the power and functionality of this local currency, the town's newly elected mayor, George Ferguson, agreed to accept his entire £51,000 annual salary in Bristol Pounds. Ferguson and others who have agreed to accept Bristol Pounds as a portion of their paychecks can now use the currency at more than 300 different locations within the system's thriving network of local businesses. Using Bristol Pounds, members can purchase anything from lunch at local chain restaurants to shoes, clothes, and even the services of a private security company.
Click Here to Read More...
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 Grid & SBN Holiday Celebration Equal Dollars is featured in the 2013 SBN Directory |
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On December 6, 2012, SBN and Grid Magazine held a holiday party to celebrate the release of the SBN's 2013 Members Directory in the January issue of Grid. As a proud member of SBN, Equal Dollars was featured with a listing you can see on page 8 of the SBN insert.
Sustainable Business Network (SBN) is a resource for locally-owned businesses in the Greater Philadelphia region that are committed to improving their environmental and social impacts. The mission of SBN is to "build a just, green, and thriving economy... by educating and growing a broad base of local, independent businesses and educating policymakers and the public."
Grid is a free, monthly print magazine devoted to Philadelphia's rising sustainability movement. Its goal is to demystify complex sustainability issues and initiatives by conveying them to readers in an easy to understand manner.
Click Here to Read More...
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 10 Fun New Year's Resolutions This year, try following these Equal Dollars resolutions! |
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1. Find a new way to spend your EqualDollars
2. Earn more Equal Dollars this year than you did last year by taking advantage of one of the many volunteer opportunities
3. Tell at least two neighbors about Equal Dollars
4. Buy more vegetables at the Food Market and cook healthy meals for your family
5. Share the produce you buy at the Food Market with friends and neighbors
6. Learn some useful gardening skills by volunteering at the urban farm. Perhaps you can even start your own vegetable garden at home!
7. Find a use for all those free bananas available at the food market. Try whipping up some delicious banana shakes!
8. Make a donation in Equal Dollars to sponsor a hard-working volunteer!
9. Stay fit and reduce harmful automobile emissions by riding your bike. Don't have a bike? Purchase one with Equal Dollars through our Bike Program!
10. Clean the clutter in your home and donate any unused items to the Treasure Chest
To try out some of these resolutions contact Ben Kincaid at ben.kincaid@rhd.org!
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*Equal Dollars Business Spotlight*
Brothers' Keepers Hope Improvement
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Saving money feels good but saving money while supporting a local non-profit feels even better. Brothers' Keepers Hope Improvement is a general contracting business that provides employment to marginalized populations, including ex-offenders and adjudicated youth, in a work environment that empowers employees to become financially self-sufficient.
Brothers' Keepers provides services like home remodeling and repair, commercial cleaning and bedbug removal. Not only do they provide a wide variety of services but they accept a portion of their payment in Equal Dollars!
So the next time you find yourself needing some work around the house, think about saving some cash...and doing a little good along with it.
For more information about Brother's Keepers, check out their website or give them a call at 215-951-0300 ext 3535.
For more information about Equal Dollar business members contact Sara Reed at sara.reed@rhd.org or 215-951-0300, ext. 3712. |
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Our monthly newsletter is a way to keep our members informed of Equal Dollars updates and opportunities. If you are not an Equal Dollars member and wish to become one, please visit our website www.equaldollars.org, to sign up!
Happy Trading,
Your Equal Dollars Team
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Upcoming Weatherization Workshop
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Are your latest energy bills through the roof? It doesn't have to be that way, and Equal Dollars can help! Come to a FREE information session to learn how you can reduce your energy bills. Lunch will be provided and everyone who attends will be entered to win a FREE Comprehensive Energy Assessment! Tuesday, February 12th1-3pm4700 Wissahickon Ave Click here for more info or to RSVP! |
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 | | Equal Dollars January Member Interview |
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Equal Dollars Video Spotlight
Equal Dollars volunteer and vendor Maureen Muchison talks about her experience with Equal Dollars, our weekly Food Market, and discusses how she uses her Equals to share with friends and family.
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Energy Saving Workshop
2/12
1-3pm
4700 Wissahickson Ave
Learn energy-saving tips from experts and sign up for an exclusive weatherization offer that you can pay for in partial Equal Dollars! Click Here for More Info
Food Market
1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28
1-2:30pm
4700 Wissahickon Ave
Purchase produce, bread, canned goods and much more every week!Click Here for More Info
Treasure Chest Boutique
1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30 1-3pm 4700 Wissahickon Ave Browse a wide selection of clothing, homewares and specialty items. Donations accepted! Click Here for More Info
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Jicama (pronounced HEE-ka-ma) is a large, bulbous root vegetable. Also known as the Mexican potato, the jicama bulb has tough brown skin which should be peeled before eating. The inside of a jicama bulb is white, wet, and crunchy and can be eaten raw or cooked. Jicama's unique, sweet flavor lends itself well to salads, salsas, and vegetable dishes. A popular favorite preparation of this delicious vegetable is jicama coleslaw. Interested in preparing jicama slaw in only about 25 minutes? Check out this easy recipe by professional chef, Bobby Flay!
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