News and Updates

We are very excited to have finally launched our new services after months of development. Our main goal for the new services is to make it easier to submit a request so we can share with those we care about as quickly as possible. Most of all, we wanted to help you, the members of Common Change, by making life just a bit easier for you. If you take a look at the new services we think you’ll get a pretty good idea of what were aiming for, what we value and, more importantly, how we work really hard to adapt to a changing world.

Common Mail
You will be assigned a pigeon that will carry your request and replies to the others in your group.

Common Smoke Signal
After joining your group you will receive a member manual that will give instructions to build robust fires that will send the ideal amount of smoke for other members to see when you have a request or are replying to a request.

Common Tree
Upon having 25 members in your group, each member will be sent Common Tree seeds through Common Mail including instructions, sent through Common Smoke Signals, about how to plant them. The seeds will produce a mature tree — its leaves being the new universally accepted currency.

We hope that you find these new services helpful.

Written by Brett Anderson

I grew up in South Africa and while I don’t think I would have ever called myself ‘poor’ growing up, i definitely was aware that we had less than most of the people I was at school with. And so ‘relative poverty’ I guess, although with regular meals, more than enough clothes and a comfortable place to live, the word ‘poverty’ there feels starkly out of place.

And is.

We weren’t so much poor as less rich.

Which as a white person in South Africa up to this point, is the likely narrative.

Now, as an adult, trying to be someone who engages with the necessary race conversations and the closely-related socio-economic issue in my country, I cannot call myself a follower of Jesus and ignore the very real poverty that exists around me.

But I come to realise more and more just how complicated it all is. There is no one-size-fits-all paradigm or practice or mindset that is going to work well. Case by case or more importantly person by person, I need to be discerning as to how best to proceed.

Read more

Written by Geoff Maddock

It’s Saturday and the finishing touches are placed on the table: a delicate vase of flowers and delicious biscuits straight from the oven. An ease and familiarity radiate around the room. The good company and hearty Irish stew generate warmth. The relaxed banter tapers off as one of our hosts explains the purpose of our gathering. Twelve friends lean in to learn about the needs of some of our neighbors and to carefully make an account of our resources.
Can we help? If so, how?

This is the simple work of a generosity event. We contemplate the dilemma of a friend whose ability to make a living ended when his car stopped. Another elderly neighbor and her partner are sleeping on the floor after their bed, an air mattress, sprung a leak.

If you wandered in on this scene you would notice two things. First, the group is obviously made up of people who know one another. Guests are lightening fast with a quip and equally quick to laugh. Secondly you would witness the good and important work of neighborliness; when geographically connected people pay attention to the needs and resources around them.

The conversation meanders and eventually questions about poverty, injustice, personal responsibility, and public policy beg for our attention. These systematic issues can be overwhelming and paralyzing, robbing us of a sense of agency to make things better. It all seems too much. At this generosity event, however, we are saved from despair by the needs raised. They bring focus and clarity to the conversation. We are back to considering the immobilized car and the deflated mattress.

Can we help alleviate these particular struggles? If so, how? Read more

written by Jill Adams

A few weeks ago we received a sibling group of three here at the home. The oldest is a 10-year-old boy and the other two are girls ages 7 and 8. They arrived here illiterate, lice-infested, dirty, underweight, full of rotting teeth, and extremely delayed in their development. It’s unbelievable to see them change in just a few weeks. Now they are receiving an education, medical and dental care, a loving stable home, a clean living environment and 3 meals a day. I have often wondered where these kids would be if they didn’t arrive here or how their lives would turn out. These kids have not had much of a childhood and have suffered abuse and violence. Their parents’ battle with alcohol and drug use and the children have been abandoned for very long periods of time. Their 18 –year-old sister has been trying to care for them and two other siblings, as well as her own baby. She also has never been to school and therefore can’t get any sort of job. She would often beg on the streets for them to have something to eat. She is very relieved that they are being cared for. Read more

We are thrilled to announce Common City Lexington, a new initiative being pioneered together with First Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. By bringing together individuals, businesses, organizations, nonprofits, schools, and faith communities the Common City Initiative (CCi) is designed to create an holistic ecosystem of gifting (collaborative giving).

Common Change has been spearheading collaborative giving with the simple desire to eliminate personal economic isolation by moving resources more directly to people who need them, with as few degrees of separation as possible. Collaborative giving isn’t about the transaction; it’s about the relationship.

The beauty of Common City Lexington is that it is driven by local people who are passionate about starting or expanding collaborative giving and strengthening local relationships. Sherry Maddock, Common City Lexington Ambassador, is an active resident of downtown Lexington, advocating for citizens’ involvement in all levels of neighborhood revitalization.

This initiative gives everyone a chance to participate in creating a more inclusive economy in their city. By establishing a gifting ecosystem that seeks to move resources directly to people who need them, we will strengthen the relational fabric of local community. The ripple effect will be felt throughout the community and have the opportunity to grow and improve our neighborhoods.

Have questions about Common City Lexington or the Common City Initiative? Send them to Support@CommonChange.com

Common City Lexington Page