Aimed at empowering mothers and mothers-to-be, this workshop is designed to help mompreneurs who are interested in creating their own financial security through work that supports their mothering and provides a viable income source outside of the extractive economy.

More than ever before, American families are relying on the mother’s earnings with as many as 40% depending solely on her income. And yet women still earn .70 for each dollar that a man makes in an identical position. Unsurprisingly, many moms are creating work for themselves that compensates them fairly and that supports their childrearing and caregiving responsibilities.

Led by Arroyo Seco Network of Time Banks (www.asntb.com) mompreneurs who share their personal experiences, triumphs, trials and tribulations, this workshop may also features a volunteer from Public Counsel who offers general legal information related to starting a small or home-based business, and how small business owners should protect themselves and their assets.

Saturday, September 20th from 10AM-12PM
Armory Center for the Arts 145 North Raymond Avenue Pasadena, California 91103

ASNTB Mompreneur Facilitators:
...Valerie Krasny, Orange Blossom Bakery
...Khadija Anderson, Little Bohemians Daycare
...Diane Carroll, Business Consultant and Owner of Maverick Center

// PRICE //
ASTNB members: 2 Time Dollars (payable to the Local Economy Incubator)
Non-ASNTB members: $15

// RSVP //
You must RSVP to attend!
Secure your spot now by emailing Sarah McGowan Dear [email protected]

Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/848970435121767/

Join us for a special screening of Time As Money. Made by Lenore & Mark Eklund former ASNTB members and founders of the Portland Time Bank!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud5HVh500J0

Date: Saturday, September 6th, 2014
Time: 12:30PM-2:30PM
Location: Jefferson Park Library 2211 W Jefferson Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90018.

From a Handful of Friends to a Sharing Economy Leader

by Sarah McGowan Dear

Some of you remember when the Echo Park Time Bank and Arroyo Time Bank were the only games in town. Back then our numbers were few, but we were motivated and inspired by a new paradigm for community building.

That was 6 years ago and since then, we’ve grown into 21 neighborhoods with over 1,300 members. Now we are a national best-practices model that has made some amazing impact on the communities where we are active and in the lives of our members. We have over 10 incredible member-led projects, a handful of really committed neighborhood coordinators and passionate Care Committee leaders. To put it mildly, we are thriving.

It’s amazing (if not miraculous) that we’ve managed this explosive growth with virtually no paid administration. To date, all annual fundraising efforts have provided us with a shoestring budget to pay for materials, our software subscription and program expenses. (To all the people who have given their time and talents to helping with those efforts, we thank you again as we have thanked you before!) We have consistently existed on annual operating budgets of sometimes less than $2,000, but with tens of thousands of time dollars!

But further growth means the need for more development, infrastructure, partnership and funding as the need for time banking in Los Angeles continues to soar. The writing has been on the wall for a few years, providing the impetus for the creation of the ASNTB and the first step in what ASNTB co-founders Janine Christiano and Autumn Rooney knew would ultimately lead to securing our own nonprofit status.

So a few years ago, Janine and Autumn started working with member Sarah McGowan Dear on grant development, securing a string of funds from the Metabolic Studio that created the California Federation of Time Banks, the Salon Series, the Community Revolving Loan Fund, and the Local Economy Incubator and provided Neighborhood Kits full of potluck materials and supplies for all active coordinators.

We did all of this under the wing of our fiscal agent, Lois Arkin (of the LA Eco-Village/CRSP), who nurtured and mentored us for five years. Knowing that we were growing out of her incubator, Janine, Autumn and Sarah began working with member Nancy Berlin to prepare paperwork to apply for our own 501c3, or nonprofit, status so we could pursue the kind of funding that supports general operating expenses.

We make a compelling case as one of the most effective, low-cost service delivery models in our communities: a part time administrator making the living wage of $15/hour costs just $9.37 per member, per year at our current membership numbers.

It has taken us two years of planning, a lot of consulting with the Sustainable Economies Legal Center (SELC) in the Bay Area and hours of research to file the necessary paperwork.

As of May 30, 2014, the Arroyo Sustainable Economies Community Organization (Arroyo S.E.C.O.) was granted nonprofit status by the Internal Revenue Service! We can hardly believe that the dream is now reality.

Very few time banks have successfully achieved this status and so many of them are anxiously awaiting review of our paperwork so they may follow in our footsteps. SELC amazingly and graciously agreed to guide us pro bono with the stipulation that they could publish our application and make it open source to anyone who wants it.

True to our time banking roots, Arroyo S.E.C.O. was created out of a desire to merge and cooperate, share and collaborate rather than compete for resources. ASECO offers a variety of programs: the ASNTB, the California Federation of Time Banks, the Community Revolving Loan Fund and the Local Economy Incubator - all of which benefit the ASNTB community. The nonprofit has a larger scope, with a vision to eventually help Los Angeles become a go-to Sharing City capital. That means that as we pursue slow, scalable growth, we will reach out to more Angelenos, attract more partners and implement programs that offer as much promise as time banking.

We are so grateful to TimeBanks USA for their inspiration and support, Lois Arkin for mentoring us, the Metabolic Studio for funding some of our early initiatives, Janelle Orsi and her amazing team at the Sustainable Economies Legal Center for helping us develop a compelling case for the educational value of Arroyo S.E.C.O. and to each and every ASNTB member who has helped this network grow, innovate and improve quality of life for its members.

Visit the soft-launch of Arroyo S.E.C.O.’s website to learn more about our new nonprofit!

www.arroyo-seco.org

All Member Potluck in Silverlake

Date and Time: Sunday, June 22nd from 2-5PM
Location: Silver Lake Recreation Center
1850 W Silver Lake Drive, at Van Pelt Place
Los Angeles, California 90026

Meet your fellow members and eat some delicious food. Bring your own plate, cup and utensil. Everyone welcome!

There are picnic tables behind and on either side of the Recreation Center. We will arrive at 1 p.m. to reserve a table or two, either beside the basketball court (at Silver Lake Blvd. and Van Pelt Place) or on the west end of the park (over at W. Silver Lake Drive and Van Pelt Place). Look for signs and for especially friendly, earnest looking people!

Special features:

• Displays by the first two recipients of the ASECO Community Revolving Loan Fund ... Pacific Electric (Somerset Waters) and Coconut Cow (Jolie Assina)
• The Really, Really, Really Free Table (Bring up to three high quality, "lightly used" items to leave as gifts to others, take up to three items as gifts for yourself or for re-gifting.)

Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/481321858680388/

Arroyo S.E.C.O. Network of Time Banks member Nadine Lego is back from a year's adventure circling the globe!  Last year's "Repair Yourself Cafe" , which Nadine coordinated, was such a success that Repair Cafe and the Arroyo SECO Network of Time Banks will again host an afternoon smorgasbord of self-healing sessions, each about 25 minutes. This deliciously luxurious afternoon can be paid for with time dollars for the length of time you are present. There will be six half-hour sessions offered. Folks who are not yet Time Bankers are of course welcome.

The Armory Center for the Arts studio will be transformed into a "day spa" of yoga, Spa water, free hugs and much more. Parents welcome childcare provided. Give yourself the gift of self care or offer your community your nurturing gift.

A Chinese proverb says that "The scent of the rose remains on the hand of the giver."  Repair Cafe knows this to be true!

Conscientious Projector presents a screening of Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work on worker-owner and cooperative business models.
http://shiftchange.org/

Thurs, May 8th at 7PM FREE

At Armory Center for the Arts 145 North Raymond Avenue Pasadena, California 91103 (1..5 blocks from the Metro Gold Line Memorial Station stop)

Save the date April 25th, 2014 6PM! Our first Community Revolving Loan Fund recipient Pacific Electric Coop will be having a launch party at the L.A. Eco Village 117 Bimini Pl L.A., CA 90004. RSVP at [email protected]

Mark your calendars for a unique opportunity!  Next Repair Cafe January 25, Saturday, noon to 3, will be hosted by La Loma Development at the SHED!  Marco Barantes and Michelle Matthews have invited us to use the Shed 1355 Lincoln Ave Pasadena, CA 91103 (SW corner of Lincoln and Washington) to set up a buzz of tinkers and tailors and anyone else who might like to offer a repair.  They  will host simultaneously an open house of the premises, which covers approx 1/4 of a city block, and a tour with representation of their unique vision for the property.  The Permaculture based Landscape Design and Architecture company is known for its permaculture garden-building including Pasadena's Arlington Garden, conversions of swimming pools to fish and plants environs and its support of the wilderness area known as Poppy Hill in LA.  

La Loma is creating a non profit arm called Zanja Madre as a way to knit the community with classes in permaculture concepts with a wide scope including demonstrations of bees, chickens, worms, green-growing walls and roofs, yoga and a beer garden, and a general resource for the community.
 Repair Cafe is a great fit with these Permaculture concepts offering the public the opportunity to test the waters of gift economy, Time Banking, and sharing abundance as well as reducing landfill and raising consciousness about reducing consumerism and building in community resilience.

Yes, we will have the Really, Really Free Market and hopefully some harvest to share from the Neighborhood Fruit Harvest group.  Rumor has it there may be tamales.  bring some food to share.  
To offer repairs or help with triage contact [email protected].
To sample the awesome feeling of abundance in action, just show up!