Bulletin - Semester 1 Week 4
Sun, 05/04/2009 - 19:46 — Bulletin
News
Fruit & Veg
Buenos tardes amigos! I recently found a link to a site called WakeUp Sydney! What got me there was the promise of a film and music event but the front page quickly told me it had booked out. After some browsing on the site I came across a 'free gift'. Free anything is always good (actually a lot of free things are no good at all, however, the word 'free' does catch my eye) but what kept my attention was the concept: Kindness Cards - a sort of organised 'pay it forward' scheme. So, I ordered my cards and they soon arrived in the mail. On the front was written a quote: "one great, strong, unselfish soul in every community could actually redeem the world. Elbert Hubbard". Hubbard????!!!?!?!? Alarm bells went off in my head. Are the scientologists trying to infiltrate my house and life under the guise of an alternative movement? Not to discriminate against any beliefs or persons of any kind, but come on, just be up front about who you are. No sneaking around. Good old Google set me straight. Elbert Green Hubbard - America writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. Definitely not the L. Ron Hubbard, who, according to About L Ron Hubbard.org (I'm trying to remain objective) "left an extraordinary legacy: an immense body of wisdom that leads man to spiritual freedom; the fastest-growing religion in the world today, Scientology". Now I need to make a confession. Previously I always thought his name was 'Elron' Hubbard. How was I to know he felt it necessary to include it first initial in his name? How embarrassment!
I am much more drawn to this Elbert Hubbard. Wiki tells us Hubbard edited and published two magazines, The Philistine and The Fra. The Philistine was bound in brown butcher paper and full of satire and whimsy. Hubbard himself apparently quipped that the cover was butcher paper because "There is meat inside".
That's the end of my miscellaneous information for you all today and enough of exposing the extent of my ignorance.. Moving on to business now.
News
Mid Semester Cleaning Bee
Your co-op needs you! In order to make the shop sparkling and clean we will be holding a cleaning bee on Wednesday 15 April, from 10am to 6pm. Donate two hours of your time to making the co-op spick and span and receive a 40% discount in the shop! We are also in need of someone to coordinate all or part of the day - please email Andrew if you can help out.
Mid Semester Break Opening Times
Over the break we will be open on Thursday 16 April only. Veggie boxes will still be on.
Photos from the gardening bee!
From Cassie
Monika, Suzie and Fernanda were snap-happy at the gardening bee on 22 March - to see the photos, check out our new Flickr photostream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/
The Thoughtful Foods Chai Challenge
From Suzie
From Suzie
Our lovely co-op has run out of chai... and no one can remember the recipe for it! So we're putting the word out for creative members to come up with a new one. Please email your recipes to orders@thoughtfulfoods.org.au and we'll do a taste test and who knows? Maybe you could go down in TF history!
Photographer skills? Website design skills? The co-op website may need you!
From Cassie
It has been suggested that our website could do with a slight makeover. It's very functional and useful but the main page and the aesthetic layout could do with a little sprucing up (do people still use that term?). If you are interested in finding out more or have a few ideas yourself, please email Andrew and let him know what your interests are.
Roster Gaps
From Cassie
Our Thursday volunteer crew are doing an amazing job! All other volunteers are doing an amazing job too, of course, but there is a lot of work to be done on Tuesday and Wednesday and very few people around to help. If you can spare some time, we'd really appreciate your coming to visit us for an hour or two and helping us work through long lists and difficult tea breaks.
Can’t Make Your Shift?
From Cassie
From Cassie
Please let us know if you’ve volunteered for a shift and can’t make it! The phone number for the shop is 9385 6097 and the people on the end of the line are very nice.
Ordering needs a vollie!
From Cassie
From Cassie
We're looking for enthusiastic vollies to help with some activities to improve our product selection at TF. This will include updating the store inventory, researching product information and organising some upcoming events. Most of this work can be done outside of shop hours and will qualify you for in-store discounts. So if you would like to learn more about our products and have wanted to volunteer for us but couldn't make time before, this is the perfect opportunity!
Calling all Bricks!
From Cassie
The garden needs bricks. If anyone knows of somewhere we can get some used bricks for free, that would be greatly appreciated. Alternatively, there is a demolition site just West of Thoughtful Foods (the other side of the Round House). If someone has some spare time, talking to the site manager to see if we can get permission to enter the site and retrieve old bricks, and/or organise the actual retrieval of said bricks, that would be totally awesome. (We can make you a badge which says 'Totally Awesome' if that's an added incentive!)
Jars, bottles, tubs, boxes, containers, receptacles...
From Hazel
From Hazel
Lately our stock of jars and other handy containers has dwindled at the Co-op, so should you find yourself with a surplus at home, please bring them along to the shop and we will gladly re-use them. Empty, clean jars with lids will be most ecstatically received.
Box gatherers needed
From Cassie
We need our supply of boxes to remain at a decent level week by week. This means we may need someone to pick up more boxes from buildings in the area (talk to a coordinator for suggestions) and have those people picking up orders to bring bags to carry them home in rather than taking the boxes with them. Please help!
Styrofoam boxes
From Cassie
We still have an abundance of Styrofoam boxes. Andrew has already taken three and has grand plans of creating a wonderful balcony garden. He challenges you all to a race!
Co-op crawl
From Cassie
Interested in co-ops? Want a day out on your bike? Suzie and Hazel are organising a co-op crawl in the mid semester break. Time and co-ops to be announced soon.
PRODUCT NEWS
PRODUCT NEWS
From Suzie
It's leading up to Easter time so naturally this week's products are all about chocolate! Aside from this, a lot of other staples are back in including a range of fairtrade organic rice.
*New Products*
Amaranth -An exciting new grain to add to our collection! Ours is organic and from Bolivia, where the plant has been introduced into the region due to its drought tolerance. We'd love to hear how you go with your culinary experimentation on this one, so if you come across a nice recipe please send it in to orders@thoughtfulfoods.org.au
Did you know? That Amaranth is another name for pigweed, which is the original name of the Thoughtfulfoods co-op (oh so many years ago)!
Cannellini beans – now also available in bulk dry form. yum!
Amaranth -An exciting new grain to add to our collection! Ours is organic and from Bolivia, where the plant has been introduced into the region due to its drought tolerance. We'd love to hear how you go with your culinary experimentation on this one, so if you come across a nice recipe please send it in to orders@thoughtfulfoods.org.au
Did you know? That Amaranth is another name for pigweed, which is the original name of the Thoughtfulfoods co-op (oh so many years ago)!
Cannellini beans – now also available in bulk dry form. yum!
*Back in stock*
Vanilla, linseed, popcorn, prunes, millet.
Regular items:
Yoga
Free yoga won't be on again until April 23rd.
Eggs - Available now!
Eggs are available again from this Thursday the 9th April. Please place egg orders before Tuesday and pay for them when you pick them up. If you can't make it into the shop to place your order, you can email it to eggs@thoughtfulfoods.org.au. Eggs are $3.60 per dozen and may receive a member or volunteer discount.
We desperately need more egg cartons. If you get eggs from us, please return them! I don't want to have to go and raid that primary school's art supplies again - those kids looked so disappointed.
Fruit & Veg
Please get all orders in by midday on Wednesday. All order must be paid for in advance - money placed inside order form.
Boxes can be picked up between 2pm and 5pm on Thursday. If you can not get your box before 5pm, please call the shop on 9385 6097. If you have any questions about the process, please email veggies@thoughtfulfoods.org.au or speak to a volunteer in the shop during opening hours.
Bread
If you have put in a bread order for this week and suspect you may not have included your membership number, please email bread@thoughtfulfoods.org.au w
Bread arrives on Thursday morning and must be picked up that day before 5pm. Orders must be in by the end of the previous Thursday and paid for in advance, and they must include your membership number. Please talk to a volunteer in the shop if you'd like to place an order. If you'd like to see a price list, please see the bread page on our website (http://thoughtfulfoods.org.
If you have any questions, please email bread@thoughtfulfoods.org.au or speak to a volunteer during opening hours.
Training
If you haven't had a training session, and you want to volunteer, come by for a one hour session from 11am or 3pm on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Weekly Meeting
The minutes from last week's meeting are attached. If you would like to come along, weekly meetings are held in the ARC building from 6pm every Wednesday.
And Ending
Wow, it feels like it was an exceptionally long bulletin this week, full of many opportunities contribute, from offering your services, to rescuing boxes your work may have sent to the recycling to keeping those pasta sauce jars and bringing them into the co-op. The egg cartons and jars have been building up in our house for a while now. I just never seem to be able to remember to take them in. Mission for this week: shuttle goods to TF shop!
Wishing you all a good evening,
Joey