Sunday newsletter: hours, heat, gift membership
Hello! The holidays, they are upon us! These past few days at LE have been fascinating, as we've seen the room transform into a mahjong parlor, a live podcast stage, a repair cafe, and a place to make and support art for kids. We're amazed at how many different things can feel right in the space.
We're a bit raggedy right now with all the action, but we're gratified that so many people have been able to come through for these participatory moments. Full volunteer shoutouts below!
A few notes on the space that we want make sure everyone sees:
Our hours have expanded.
It's a little confusing, so we hope this will clarify things for you.
We're now open from 8:30am to 4pm, Wednesday-Saturday.
Painted Leopard's coffee service will run from 8:30am-2pm, Wednesday through Saturday. Because they don't serve decaf, they were finding that their coffee sales really fell off the last two hours of the day. If you like to caffeinate after 2pm, grab something nearby!
From 8:30-11am Wed-Fri, the main room is for members only (and your guests). A little weekday focus time just for you. We've put up a curtain that will distinguish that space from the front coffee area, which will be open to the public during that time.
Hope that is clear! We also have this posted and pinned on our IG page.
Heat is coming!
If you were around last week, you probably noticed it was chilly. We thought our heater was broken, but it turns out it's just the entire utility system of America that is broken, and PG&E never turned on the actual gas. They're coming out Tuesday, and all involved are anticipating an easy fix, and a warmer room come Wednesday. How much warmer? We'll see. We also have a space heater now. All this to say: we're trying to cozy it up during the cold months.
Gift Memberships
As a holiday gift option, we've created a three-month gift membership that you can give to a family member or friend or neighbor or colleague who you think might enjoy the Local Economy community and events. And if you come by the shop, we can give you a blank membership card to take with you for a cuter presentation. Fits nicely in a stocking...
New Totes & Hats
New members: remember, you get a tote! We are out of our original run, but there is a new batch due to arrive any day now. (It's a new color and design!) Also, we MADE HATS, which you can find in the shop.
Events This Week
Hooray—if you've been waiting to come by and things have been sold out, we've got a few openings for things this week.
Tuesday, 6-7:30pm: Come hear authors Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Dashka Slater talk about book bans with Oakland School Board rep Rachel Latta. East Bay Booksellers will have a special section of banned books, and looking at the list, it's clear that any mention of gender or sexuality could get a work banned. (This event supports Authors Against Book Bans).
Wednesday, 10-11am: Storytime for Caregivers. Patricia Zaballos will be in conversation with Tomas Moniz about his book, All Friends Are Necessary, among other things.
Friday, 6pm: Miniature wintry wreaths (This one is sold out. Yes, we agree Erica should do another one!)
Saturday, 7pm: BYOB Show-and Tell. There are handful of slots left for storytellers. Also! This one is gonna start promptly at 7pm.
Corkboard: Member Notes to Members
Jeff Wright and his son Owen, who many of you have met at Sunday Coffee, had a tragedy occur. Here are the details: "Last night, a fire broke out at Cambria (Owen’s mom) and Owen’s (my son) 12th floor apartment. They were not there, Owen was with me at our new place. That being said, the fire and smoke engulfed the entire apartment and our beloved dog and cat, Domingo and Xena, did not make it." Just devastating. They've got a GoFundMe set up. Help if you can.
On a lighter note, Nancy Shaw has a very fun idea: "Music appreciator? Pop culture fan? Gen X’er desperately trying to stay relevant? (OK, that might just be me.) Join me for a Grammys Album of the Year Challenge in January! 4 weeks, 8 albums (listen to 2 per week on your own time,) 1 weekly meet-up at LE. Let’s get cultured, opinionated, and have some silly fun. Starts week of Jan 5, finish by Grammy air date Feb 1. Call/text me at (415) 819-2092 or email nancyshaw1@gmail.com to join! Of course, all Gens welcome :)"
Volunteer Shoutouts
Wow, there have been some heroic volunteer efforts in recent weeks. Joanne got mahjong rolling (what a night). Leah Romm may have given herself hypothermia making sure we got releases signed during the Odell repair event. Susie K saved our bacon making silent auction bidding sheets. Regina has been a rock through a bunch of events, as have Bettina and Bonnie. Candace has been an all-star greeter and will be one for two more upcoming events. Tara was a perfect swiss-army-knife during the repair event. Amanda came back, even though it always feels like the hardest events happen during her shifts. Gail’s been a delight. Annie is there for us when we really need her. Julie and Julia, too, your help is so appreciated.
As always, if you want to join the Volunteer Corps, just let us know at hi@thelocaleconomy.com. We’ll have more opportunities, especially for the new year, coming up.
See you soon!
