Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 13:45:18 -0400
From: “jaime*chandra
Subject: Why I LOVE the PLENTY!
Hi Chatlisters!
Many of you know me “in real life” and many of you do not.
I am Jaime Chandra, a local business owner, non-profit worker, and Vice
President of the PLENTY Currency Cooperative Board of Trustees.
Today I’d like to share the reasons I LOVE the PLENTY. After all, this is
why I decided to volunteer my time and energy to the revitalization effort.
1 – It’s pretty and I like pretty things. Emma Skurnick’s artwork is
beautiful!!! It is far more visually pleasing to use on a daily basis than
dollars and plastic credit/debit cards.
2 – It promotes local economy. It can only be spent in the piedmont/triangle
area and is typically only accepted by locally-owned businesses. Its like
barter but easier.
3 – It is a great conversation piece. Active, vibrant conversation is
important to our growth as humans engaged in a community. Every good idea is
worth of debate and critique.
4 – It is unique. Other states might have a local currency, but no one else
has a Piedmont Local EcoNomy Tender. This is unique to our region in North
Carolina AND it is newsworthy! It’s been featured over 30 times in
international news. How cool!
5 – It is resilient. The PLENTY continued to circulate even when the
organization behind it lost steam.
6 – It belongs to everyone. The PLENTY is a Community Currency that exists
to bring awareness to and strengthen local economy. No one person or
organization stands to profit from the PLENTY or even owns it. The
organization helping support and promote it is a Cooperative that anyone can
join, vote, and be heard. And being a member is not required to accept it.
There is no exclusive club. This is for everyone who *wants* to participate
and at whatever level they want.
I remember getting my first PLENTY in 2006 at a yoga class in Carrboro just
a couple months after moving to Pittsboro from Florida. I really didn’t know
what to do with it. I put it on my bulletin board and admired the beauty…
I didn’t want to spend something so pretty. More and more clients started
paying with PLENTYs and now I get to use them everyday. I am so lucky!
One of my favorite things to do is leave PLENTY as a tip when dining or
getting services done around the Triangle. I often leave both PLENTYs and
cash because I understand that people value different things than myself. It
is my way of slowly introducing people to the PLENTY. I’ve been thinking of
creating a little card that I can leave with it that explains the mission
and where it can be spent to help educate.
When the Shop Chatham card is ready, I full intend to support it both as a
business and consumer. The more ways to promote local and strengthen our
community, the better!
Matt Rudolph is a friend of mine, he is a wonderful human with good
intentions. His post was not skillful. All of us have made mistakes in our
lives, it is one of the uniting qualities of being human. He has done what
so many cannot – publicly apologized. Kudos, Matt!
I have not known Melissa Frey very long, but the PLENTY Currency Cooperative
is happy to have her on board as our executive director. We felt that her
experience opening the marketplace would be beneficial. Melissa also has
good intentions in building our community and strengthening our economy.
Chatham Marketplace is a fabulous asset to this community, without it, my
fiance and I would need to travel to chapel hill to shop in order meet our
dietary needs. I am very grateful to everyone who helped create this
fabulous market!
Lyle Estill and everyone at Piedmont Biofuels are an absolute inspiration to
me. The fact that my fiance can commute to work everyday on fuel created by
*waste* vegetable oil and get 35+ miles per gallon doing it is just plain
AMAZING. The fact that I can fire dance using sustainable and non-toxic
fuels makes me giddy every time I light up. The community of intelligent and
progressive people that formed around the project brings joy to my life
daily. AND… my *favorite part* of the project – the FARMERS! An
unsuspecting group of people to have associated with a industrial plant, but
alas… its a great union. Piedmont Biofarm & Edible Earthscapes farm rock
my world every week with their sustainably grown vegetables.
Our Chatham County community is absolutely amazing and diverse. Our ideas,
beliefs, and opinions come from all ends of the spectrum. Yet we are all
ONE. We are more similar than different. Diversity is what makes us strong,
let’s celebrate it!
I love each and every one of you and THANK YOU for being who YOU truly are..
~Jaime Chandra Kozlowski
Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist
Registered Yoga Teacher
c. 919.200.9569
w. jaimechandra.com
The Abundance Foundation
local food~renewable energy~community
p. 919-533-5181
m. P O Box 1113 ~ Pittsboro, NC 27312
w. theabundancefoundation.org