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Secrets to Our Success in the Community Volunteer Staff Meetings We call them "staff" meetings, but really the meetings we have in our community are more like Community Solutions and Update meetings, bringing project leaders together every week. These meetings are used as a forum for project news, troubleshooting obstacles, inviting solutions, great opportunities and dynamic cross-over thinking / possibilities between projects. By using a circular "go-round" check-in format, we include everybody and accomplish our work with greater-than-normal speed. We energize the excitement and momentum to propel each project ahead by leaps and bounds. We have the strength and numbers of the whole group behind us, working together to empower, further still, an even larger next wave of the people around us. Working in this manner, project leaders also find that much less cash is needed in their budget calculations than would ordinarily be planned for or expected. Often, because of many in-kind and timely resources offered through meetings and community participation, the real cash needs of the projects turn out to be as little as 5 to 10%, or less, of ordinary budget estimates. This working style is an immensely empowering tool. It allows projects to move ahead much more quickly and smoothly, without the stress, mess, fuss and bother of fundraising for the now completely unnecessary, remaining 90% of project costs. Community Update Meetings also stimulate far greater project outreach and promote communities "coming together". With even just a few of these projects operating at one time together and in assistance of each other, Project Leaders can easily find themselves accessing hundreds of terrific, pro-active, community-connected volunteers for their own necessary solutions and resources? not to mention, all will be working closely with the Project's university-college training course instructors and (Pacific Northwest) advisory personnel, throughout the duration of their volunteer tenure. (An additional side-benefit to all of this is bound to be the fabulous addition of original experience for anybody's resume or personal development path.) One last comment on staff meetings: do not expect a management hierarchy, here. You are among equals, equals that are cooperating, participating in bringing their best efforts together, voluntarily, for the sake of the greater community and a sustainable future for all.
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