Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Ann Zabaldo (zabaldoearthlink.net) | |
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:33:40 -0700 (PDT) |
Hello all -- This has been the most interesting thread. The many ways cohousing groups have devised their meal plans shows the diversity of solutions based on each community's social culture. I'm going to throw in "Soup n' Simple" from Takoma Village here in Washington, DC. We have one sit down meal a week on Monday night. (We have lots of pot lucks, brunches and in the summertime especially the grills are fired up during the week and on weekends.) This post describes the Monday night dinner. It's Simple, Sustainable and almost Maintenance Free. This meal plan is based on a "rotation" system. A rotation is determined by the number of people signing up divided by the number of people needed on a team which gives you the number of weeks in the rotation. In our case we started out w/ four people on a team. Now there are three people. Here's an example: 21 adults sign up divided by 3 people on a team ='s 7 weeks in the rotation. For seven (7) weeks each team buys, cooks and cleans up one time. The cost of the meal is set at $5.00 per adult -- I don't know how much a child's meal is. Each team decides who buys, cooks, cleans. Each team pays the cost of one entire meal one time and eats the other six at no charge. Since the price of the meal is set, the number of people at a meal is set, and since everyone in the rotation is on a team, no money changes hands and no one has to track who is doing what. Very Simple. If you miss a meal ... you just miss a meal. Guests are charged $5.00 per meal -- we ask the cook in advance if it's ok to bring a guest. At the end of the rotation, one of the members puts up a new sign up sheet for the next rotation and makes an announcement at a meeting. That's the extent of the maintenance. People sign in and out of the rotation period as their schedules allow. Sustainable. This meal plan has been in effect for 8-10 years. A little under one-third of the adults participate in the system at any one time. Children generally participate if their parents participate. Here's a fun addition to our overall meal system. Twice a month one of the members cooks a "Kid's Dinner." Kids only. He started offering this on his own. He gets assistance from various members for cooking and cleaning. Not sure how the meal is paid for -- he does put out an announcement 1 day in advance. It's a simple initiative provided by one member on his own that benefits everyone in the community. In my best begging posture which I have honed to an ART form I just don't seem to be able to wrangle an invitation to this dinner ... Oh ... I'm too old ... :-) Best -- Ann Zabaldo Takoma Village Cohousing Washington, DC Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC Falls Church VA 703-688-2646 On Jun 24, 2012, at 6:55 AM, R Philip Dowds wrote: > >> >> Our food team would like to know how other communities have successfully >> dealt with a scarcity of after-dinner cleaners. Our kitchen does get >> cleaned, but often it's the same people who step up to clean when others >> don't sign up or cancel after signing up. Our community does not use >> established cooking or cleaning teams, and anyone can sign up for meals >> whether or not they cook or clean though we request that everyone put in one >> meal-related hour per month. Both cooks and cleaners do get participation >> hours and all adults pay for the meals they eat. We have two regular dinners >> most weeks. Suggestions anyone? >> >> Martha Wagner >> Columbia Ecovillage >> Portland, OR >> >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: >> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ >> >> > > _________________________________________________________________ > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ > >
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Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? Martha Wagner, June 23 2012
- Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? David L. Mandel, June 23 2012
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Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? R Philip Dowds, June 24 2012
- Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? Ann Zabaldo, June 25 2012
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Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? David L. Mandel, June 25 2012
- Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? Ann Zabaldo, June 26 2012
- Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? R Philip Dowds, June 27 2012
- Re: Meal Cleaners—any good solutions for getting 'em? Joanie Connors, June 27 2012
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