Home Grown and Hand Picked

July 2013
Greetings!

Equal Dollars has turned a new leaf, literally! We've launched a CSA Program to bring our members boxes of Lancaster fresh produce for a combination of US and Equal Dollars. And did you know you can use your Equals at the HopeMarket in Norristown? Read below to learn more about this and more!
HopeEqual Dollars Makes a Difference at the HopeMarket
Equal Dollars takes off in Norristown

 

Tucked away in a Norristown warehouse, a group of volunteers and community advocates are doing amazing things with Equal Dollars. "It's all about empowerment!" says Sandy Watson, former director of HopeWorx, a mental health advocacy organization. A few years ago, Equal Dollars' director Deneene Brockington met with HopeWorx to talk about how Equal Dollars could help make their new start-up barter market grow. After a little experimentation, everything clicked and the HopeMarket was born.

 

Part thrift store, part community center, the HopeMarket began taking donations, rewarding volunteers with Equal Dollars and building a hub where members could purchase much needed goods for 100% Equal Dollars. Melanie, a longtime volunteer and shopper loves how "it frees up your US dollars to buy other things. For people on a fixed income it really helps."

 

Every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, volunteers congregate to sort and set up donated goods of all kinds. They even have a washer and dryer that customers can use for just 5 Equal Dollars. But to the people who frequent the HopeMarket, it's not just about the awesome deals. "It's about the people" says Dianna, volunteer and HopeMarket customer. "We support each other, we learn to work together and resolve our differences. In the end, we're all happy and can go shopping!"

 

This support takes many forms, from the handyman Bryan who fixes up things around the market to Johan who helped a woman add memory to her computer for Equal Dollars. Seeing the HopeMarket in action is a testament to the way Equal Dollars can help bring a community together. If you're ever in Norristown, stop by and don't forget to bring your Equal Dollars!

 

Click here to learn more about the HopeMarket!
 
farmLancaster Farm to Plate
Equal Dollars sells produce from Amish farms to Equal Dollars' businesses

Throughout the year South Kensington restaurants have partnered with the Equal Dollars' Keepin' It Local Campaign. Currently, Equal Dollars has recruited 17 local businesses in South Kensington to become Equal Dollars members. These businesses offer their goods and services for partial Equal Dollars. Through the Keepin' It Local Campaign and other Equal Dollars promotions, many of these local businesses have seen increased business and foot traffic. Several of our restaurants including: Quince, George's, Buzz Caf�, and Mugshots have accumulated Equal Dollars through their participation in the Equal Dollars program and now need an avenue to spend them.

 

Enter Equal Dollars' Lancaster produce operation. As an extension of Equal Dollar's food program, Equal Dollars has partnered with several Amish farmers from the Lancaster area. These farmers sell us fresh, chemical-free produce for partial Equal Dollars. We then use this produce for our member CSA boxes and to sell to South Kensington restaurants.

 

Click here to read more... 

  
CSAEqual Dollars CSA
Equal Dollars starts CSA program with Lancaster Produce

Equal Dollars has launched a new program delivering fresh produce from Lancaster farms directly to our members. This new CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program brings food from Equal Dollar's Amish partners in Lancaster, PA to RHD's central office at 4700 Wissahickon Avenue. The boxes feature a wide array of pesticide and chemical-free produce. So far the boxes have included: potatoes, eggs, raspberries, strawberries, garlic, banana and green peppers, parsley, romaine and red leaf lettuce, cilantro, green beans, sugar snap peas, and much more!

 

The boxes can be ordered every week through the Equal Dollars program at Central Office. To order a box or for more information contact Dan Cenderelli at [email protected]

  

Click here to read more...  

KILEqual Dollars Returns to South Kensington
New businesses sign on to the Keepin' It Local Campaign
 

Equal Dollars is continuing to make progress in South Kensington by expanding the scope of our Keepin' It Local Campaign. Last Saturday, June 29th, Equal Dollars organized our second Keepin' It Local Shopping Day, complete with a community clean-up effort as well as six new shops and restaurants where members could spend their Equal Dollars. With this new influx of local interest, it brought the total amount of participating businesses up to 17!
  

The core of the Keepin' It Local Campaign revolves around residents of South Kensington taking advantage of special deals and discounts at local businesses in exchange for performing community service. Last Saturday, Stephanie Marsh, owner of the local dog sitting service Wag the Dog, organized a clean-up of a vacant lot in her neighborhood. With the help of some local volunteers, Stephanie was able to convert the formerly vacant lot into a new dog park that can be used by South Kensington residents. Volunteers were thanked for their time with an Equal Dollars gratuity which they could then use at any of the great shops and restaurants nearby.

 

Click here to read more... 

HitsSpotlight on a Business
Everybody Hits
Did you know Philadelphia has its very own indoor batting cages? Did you know this batting cage accepts Equal Dollars as part of the Keepin' It Local campaign? Everybody Hits in a brand new batting cage at 529 W. Girard Ave. They offer baseball and softball players of all skill levels a 3-stall batting cage. They also participated in our most recent Keepin' It Local Day by offering that Equal Dollars members could pay 50% of their final bill in Equal Dollars! Stay tuned for more Keepin' It Local shopping days so you can use your Equals at Everybody Hits. In the meantime, stop down, check them out, and take a few swings!
  
For more information on Everybody Hits, check out their website here. For more info on the Keepin' It Local Campaign, click here!

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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Visiting the Equal Dollars North Philly Urban Farm
For this month's newsletter feature, Equal Dollars paid a visit to our urban farm in North Philadelphia, located at 17th St. and Allegheny Ave. We spoke with Farm Manager, Tim McCullough, who gave us a tour of the farm and showed us what's growing. Earlier this month, we started to harvest produce from the farm and sell it at our Food Markets for Equal Dollars only. If you would like to check out the farm for yourself or volunteer with Tim or our other farm managers,email us at [email protected] or visit www.equaldollars.org

Optional Link
July Events
Food Market
7/15, 7/22,7/29
1-2:30pm
4700 Wisshickon Ave.

Purchase produce, bread, canned goods and much more every week!

Optional Link

Treasure Chest
7/18, 7/28
2-5pm
4700 Wissahickon Ave.

Browse a wide selection of clothing, housewares and speciality items.
How Do I
Cook THAT?!
Portabella mushrooms are actually Cremini mushrooms that have fully matured. Large, dark brown and available year round, portabellas can be used in a varity of ways. You can grill them, bake them or chop them up and saute them. Check out the recipe below to cook up some delicious portabella burgers using the mushrooms you purchase at the Equal Dollars food market. Enjoy!
Equal Dollars Community Currency | 4700 Wissahickon Ave | 215-951-0300 | E-mail | Website
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