Help around the Hill!

Hi Everyone,

My name is Katie and I’m the volunteer coordinator for SynerGeo. We are having a volunteer group from NC next week and they are looking to do some projects around Oregon Hill. They will be picking up trash and touring around the neighborhood. They have asked for more hours and so I wanted to see if anyone had any ideas of little projects or something they could do next Monday,Tuesday or Wednesday between 1:30-3? Any taggings need to be painted over, or any special area that is particularly filled with trash that I can have them focus on? If you have any ideas, please email me at cowleskatie [at] yahoo.com. I do appreciate your input. And I hope you all join us for our Community Dinner on Monday, March 9th(Yes its on the second monday because the third monday of March we’ll be in Savannah on a breakout trip!!) Hope to see you at 6pm here at SynerGeo!
Katie Cowles

Fundraising With Flowers

Hello all,

Once again it’s that time of year for a SynerGeo fundraiser.  This year we are again selling plants via the Spring Hill and Breck’s catalogs.  Many of you are gardeners, so you already have to buy supplies for your spring planting.  Why not buy from us and contribute to SynerGeo and the work we do here in Oregon Hill?  The plants are great and always arrive in pristine condition, and they even ship them when it’s time for you to plant them based on where you live! Unlike a lot of fundraising programs, we actually get 40% of the proceeds from these sales.

Also, you can designate plants to go in whatever green space of your choice around the neighborhood, and we’ll plant them for you!  Please do help us out, and invest in this organization as it supports your city.  Please also note that the deadline to have orders in is March 30.  Thank you so much in advance for your support.

Here are the plants we have available (click on each thumbnail to see the page enlarged):

First two rows: Spring Hill catalog
Last two rows: Breck’s catalog

To order:

1. Send an email to bonniehofmeyer [at] synergeo.org and include the following information:
   – Name
   – Address
   – Telephone number
   – Item numbers and quantities desired
   – Total cost (include $3.00 shipping + handling per catalog you’re ordering from)
2. Pay the total cost by credit card via our Network For Good account, or send a check for the total cost to SynerGeo, at 349 S. Laurel St., Richmond, VA 23220.

Just post a comment if you have any questions!  Thanks again.

February Community Dinner

Come join us Monday at SynerGeo!

2-16-2009

6:00pm

We will have a special guest at our community dinner Monday, Mr. Kovit Boonjear.

Boonjear is a social worker, community organizer, and social activist who has worked and lived in Khon Kaen, Thailand for the greater part of his life. Most of his work has revolved around working with Khon Kaen’s urban poor communities and informal labor sector, helping to organize and mobilize groups to address the social and economic issues that they face, such as their rights to fair labor, adequate housing and land, and protection and support from the local and national governments. He has also worked with various education communities, such as the local public school system and with the CIEE program located at Khon Kaen University.

His intention in visiting and studying in the U.S. is that he will learn to speak more fluent English and gain useful experience working with social workers, activists, organizers, and NGOs who are working in a similar field as he.

Shayne Thomas is working in conjunction with Educational Network for Global and Grassroots Exchange (ENGAGE) on an the initiative to help our colleague and mentor, Mr. Kovit Boonjear, embark on this extended study trip to the United States. Shayne Thomas spent the fall 2007 semester studying globalization and development in Khon Kaen, Thailand with the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE).

There will be photographs from this project, the images are the result of a collaboration with a community that lives and works at the city landfill in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Ban Kambon Noi has existed on the edge of Khon Kaen city for over 30 years. It is located beside the municipal landfill; families who scavenged there eventualy decided to settle, and now 60 families (approx. 235 individuals) have homes next to the waste. In 2002, 50 percent of the villagers residing in the landfill were born there, and at least one person from each household makes their living by scavenging. More than 70 people work among the garbage, earning up to 150 baht per day. Khambon Noi villagers are entirely dependent on the landfill for their income. They are aiding Thailans’s recycling efforts, as well as providing a great service to the city- so far they have extended the life of the landfill by 7 years.

They took these pictures to show others what they wanted them to see about their lives.

SynerGeo in Non-Profit Showcase at G-5

Gallery5 February First Friday Exhibition:

“A Non-Profit Showcase”

First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, February 6th 7PM – 11PM

A silent auction will be held during private and opening reception.

Auction ends at 11PM on Friday, February 6th.

Show closes on Friday, February 27th.

About A Non-Profit Showcase:

Non-Profits play a very important role in our nation, whether on a small, grassroots, local level, or on a large national level. They all have one common goal in mind to use their passions to make the world a better place dealing directly with the issues that impact humanity. This is a noble path that requires dedication, hard work, and community support. With more and more non-profits popping up everyday, one can only imagine the great changes that must be happening. However with this increase in new non-profits it is becoming more difficult to gain the resources necessary to maintain, or expand, successful and innovative programming.  A viable solution to this dilemma is to share resources and work together. Many non-profits have had unbelievable successes partnering up on programs. For example, Meals on Wheels, partnered with SPCA to deliver food to both adults and their pets. Thus saving thousands of dollars annually in time, money and fuel. That is exactly the type of collaboration that keeps non-profits making a positive difference in our community. Due to our current economic situation, finding adequate funding sources for non-profit programs and organizations is an ever-increasing challenge. It is more important than ever for non-profits to band together, and discover ways to collaborate and cooperate to provide humanity with what it really needs… our help.

Gallery5’s Non-Profit Showcase aims to bring as many non-profits together for a specific cause to create a piece of artwork that reflects the goals and values of each organization. The artwork will be on display through the month of February. The first goal of Gallery5’s non-profit showcase is to open dialogue among non-profits so they may learn about each participating organization, and open the door for new collaborative possibilities. On Thursday, February 5th, Gallery5 will host a private reception to promote a new era of cooperation and collaboration among all of the participating organizations, encouraging each attendee to meet with their peers, mingle, and dive into the pool of possibilities. The following night on First Friday, February 6th, each non-profit will have their piece of art on display in the gallery and be provided a table to share information with all of the attendees. This unique venue will promote open conversation with the general public making them more aware of Richmond’s many wonderful non-profit and volunteer causes.

A silent auction will be held during private and opening reception.

Auction ends at 11PM on Friday, February 6th.

neighborly appetites.

As always, the Community Dinner for this month was a pleasure.  We enjoyed catching up with friends and meeting new people.  The simple act of sharing a meal together reminds us of what a friendly corner of the world we’re lucky enough to live in.  Long live the Hill!

Oregon Hill Community Dinner tonight!

Reminder: the January Oregon Hill Community Dinner is tonight at 6pm, at SynerGeo (349 S. Laurel).  Bring a dish if you can!  Come meet your neighbors and enjoy some banana pudding, amongst other things.

January Community Dinner

Monday Jan. 19th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and SynerGeo’s monthly
community dinner at 6pm. We would like to encourage you to volunteer in
your community on MLK Day. Our staff is serving at sites through out
Richmond during that day (Neighborhood Resource Center, Jewish Family
Services, ElderHomes, VCU Reads, and Maymont Elementary School Project).

To volunteer go to www.handsongreaterrichmond.org

and sign up to help a
local non-profit if you are able.

Then come by SynerGeo at 6pm, bring a dish to share and tell us about any
volunteering you were able to do. If you can’t volunteer that day, still
come by for food and conversation.

We are located on the corner of laurel and albermarle streets.

We hope to see you.

Bonnie

–
” Not all who wander are lost”

New art for a new year

Happy New Year Everyone!
My name is Katie and I work at SynerGeo which runs after school art
programs in Oregon Hill.

We are in need of CDS for an art project!!! They can be scratched,
those aol cds you used to get in the mail or old software cds…any
cds! If you have any you are about to throw away or any that are just
collecting dust, we would very much appreciate them! Just drop them in
our mail slot, 349 S. Laurel Street!!!

We are also in need of 2L bottles for an art project. If you would be
so kind as to save them and drop them off for us, we would appreciate
it!!!

Thank you!
Katie

SynerGeo Artsplosion art show

Mark your calendars!

MONDAY DEC. 15TH instead of our monthly Oregon Hill Community Dinner, SynerGeo will be hosting an art show featuring the kids in our after school Artsplosion program.  Come on out to 349 South Laurel and show your support for the kids!  And  enjoy some great art and refreshments.

More art show pics

Scott over at OregonHill.net snapped a few pictures on Monday night as well.  Enjoy!  And don’t forget to bookmark OregonHill.net for all your neighborhood news.

http://www.oregonhill.net/2008/11/21/synergeo-art-show-pics/