gimnig's blog

cohousing.org Website Progress

Submitted by gimnig on

Karen Gimnig

You may have heard that a new cohousing.org website is on its way. The website is a central part of the services The Cohousing Association of the US offers. As a clearinghouse of information and connecter of people and communities, our website is one of our most effective tools for doing what we do.

Why support a cohousing association?

Submitted by gimnig on

Karen Gimnig

When I think about non-profit organizations, I mostly think of helping those who cannot help themselves - those suffering in some way from poverty or illness or both. So why would I support The Cohousing Association? Isn’t cohousing about the place you live? Aren’t most of the people who live there middle class or above? Why would I want to be part of an organization like that?

Foster Parenting in Cohousing

Submitted by gimnig on

Laura Fitch

This story was written in 2003 and first published in David Wann's book Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing. We are republishing it here with permission because it is such a great example of how cohousing communities nurture and support beyond the community itself.

We’ve been living with foster children in our house for nine months. In many ways this experience has served to remind us just how supportive cohousing can be to those who live there and how far its influence can reach to improve the lives of people beyond our immediate neighborhood.

Land with a Spirit of Peace and Nurture

Submitted by gimnig on

Lynnette Gerhard

Cabin, on site
Mt Baker

For any forming cohousing community, finding a building site is a big event. Skagit Cohousing is especially blessed to find land nurtured for the past 30 years by Ann and Bill Testerman. After raising their children (and many animals) on their 4 plus acres, Ann and Bill decided that in their retirement, it was time to downsize and adopt a lifestyle less tied to the land and nearer family. Many couples would consult a realtor, put up a "for sale" sign, look for the highest price purchaser, and be on their way. Bill and Ann do things differently.

WebChat #4 Introduction to Consensus

Submitted by gimnig on

Coho US Staff

Thanks to Yana Ludwig for an excellent WebChat introduction to consensus. You can read a short summary below and see the full session at this link:
https://youtu.be/Uvbia2QJjEk

Yana gave us a brief introduction to consensus and reminded us that this is just a beginning. Becoming skilled in consensus is a journey over years.

Connect or Get It Done?

Submitted by gimnig on

Karen Gimnig

The following question was asked on a WebChat on Oct 18, 2018. We didn’t have time to answer it there, so Karen is offering the answer here.

Question:
Is there a way to get folks who are extremely focused on "getting a lot done" -- especially leaders/facilitators who make very packed meeting agendas down to the minute and are worried that they need to build membership ASAP in order to get to actually living in community ASAP -- to slow down and focus on connection? Or, is this a basic mismatch of values and I should seek another community?

2nd WebChat - video available

Submitted by gimnig on

Karen Gimnig

Last week we enjoyed our second WebChat.

Karen Gimnig shared about the value of Getting Connected and strategies for making it happen faster. After a short presentation, questions ranged from managing speakers in meetings to balancing work on connection with decision-making.

Video available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWv9NEZB4Po

Many participants asked for a write-up of the basic mirroring exercise Karen introduced in her talk, so we’re including it here:

Cohousing: Making the World a Better Place

Submitted by gimnig on

This fall I got to spend some time with long-term cohousers. I asked them “Why cohousing?” As expected, they told me about neighborly support, caring for the environment, common meals, and all sorts of details of why it’s enjoyable to live in cohousing. What felt more important, though, were all the reasons the world needs more cohousing.

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