Community Needs From: Gonzaga University

This placement is for students in Philosophy 301-06 with Dr. Lally

INCG has a position open on its Board of Directors for a Tool Librarian. This is one of the critical community engagement positions for this 501c3 nonprofit and speaks to regional sustainability and growth of the local food network. The INCG Board of Directors has drafted a comprehensive Tool Library and Sustainability Context - the next step is to review and refine this, and develop its vision into a business plan. Until filled, President Kathleen Callum is acting as pro tem (temporary) Tool Librarian. 

Did you know the average drill is used 8 minutes during its lifetime and then discarded to become part of the waste stream clogging landfills? A tool library saves people money, keeps tools and equipment from landfills, and grows community. The INCG's vision is to create a main tool library in Spokane and satellite branches that will work with public libraries to serve urban and rural participants throughout the region. Tools and equipment such as as a Food Freezer/Dehydrator or access to a truck and trailer share (e.g., for bark, compost, or manure) will help grow the local food network and local garden or food businesses. The INCG Board envisions the main Tool Library and its branches as a site for educational sustainability educational demos, including "The Greenest Building Is Already Built" and "Strive For 5% Organic Matter" to maintain soil health and avert soil erosion.

Become part of a Tool Librarian Entrepreneurial team that helps INCG and its President 1) read, edit, refine, and make recommendations for improvement of a tool library and sustainability demo vision/plan, 2) develop a Tool Library Business Plan 3) advertise for an entrepreneurial tool librarian to fill the vacant board of directors position, 4) locate good potential sites for a tool library that satisfy the board's vision of growing the local food network and historic neighborhood restoration, 5) begin to forge partnerships with other government, academic, private sector, nonprofit and other organizations to build the tool library, 6) start cataloging and managing existing tools and equipment, 7) marketing and engaging the community regarding the sustainability of tool libraries and 8) and seeking donations of tools and equipment or sustainability demo ideas.

The centerpiece of this INCG Service Learning opportunity is the development of a viable and feasible Tool Library Business Plan. Preference may be given to business or economics or marketing students given the entrepreneurial nature of this project, to engineering and technology students given the project's goal, or perhaps tp environmental and education students interested in sustainability (although this part of the project is much farther down the road). We are seeking 2-5 students to become part of this pilot entrepreneurial team over these first semesters. Future teams from Dr. Lally's or other GU service learning classes will build on your completed business plan.

Come help INCG develop and staff this vital position (vacant) on its Board of Directors. Ideally, INCG would like to offer 1-2 work parties per month at school, youth program, service or community gardens. Such public gardens provide a gateway to food accessbility and growing the sustainable local food network. The need is especially heavy during the fall harvest season (August through October). Many gardens harvest unattended beds during this season, prior to the fall frosts, or harvest community beds, for donation to food banks. Your help is vital so that food doesn't rot in the gardens or go to waste, and for addressing poverty and food hunger. One in 11 households in the area is food insecure. This rate goes up to one in five households with young children. Help meet this need by serving as Volunteer Work Party Chair or work party volunteers.

We are primarily looking for a motivated person to schedule and lead the work parties, work with the INCG Tabling/Outeach team to staff the work parties, and help gardens in our region. Ideally, this individual would also volunteer as a candidate for this vacant position on the INCG Board of Directors, however, such a nonprofit board commitment is not a requirement - reporting occasionally to the board, the president, or Dr. Lally is also an acceptable way to communicate regarding upcoming work party dates and locations and missions. INCG Board Meetings are monthly, the 3rd Wednesday, 5:00-6:30 pm, WSU Extension. Saturday (or weekend) availability for INCG Volunteer Work Parties is preferred to rally public participation. Ability to use facebook to create and advertise events to the public is a must. Access to private transportation, especially a truck or trailer, is especially helpful - however, lack of access to private transportation is not a deal breaker. But, do be aware that the need for many gardens is a load of bark, compost, manure, or cardboard. Until the INCG Tool & Equipment Library (and Truck Share) is up and running, lack of access to a truck or trailer is a big gap in our services. The volunteer for the lead must be comfortable with hand tools such as loppers, hand saws, garden forks, and showing volunteers how to use them safely. Familiarity with rototillers and other power equipment, and their safety requirements is also big plus. We are especially seeking someone comfortable with inspiring or learning to inspire crews of random people in a field situation and assuring their safety and health (e.g., access to water on hot days). We are seeking one person or a team of two people working closely together to fill this vacancy.

We are also seeking Work Party volunteers who love to work outdoors in gardens. Experience leading work parties or working in gardens is not necessary, but volunteer must be willing to serve outdoors in all kinds of weather and engage in physical labor. The labor involved may be isolated, for example, weeding or harvesting at gardens or staining a picnic table or setting up season extension gear or shoveling compost to apply to gardens.

INCG is seeking to fill a vacant position on its Board of Directors for Education Chair. Alternatively, INCG is seeking committee members to move forward with the Education Chair's duties, grow the organization, and meet its mission. Optimally, this service learning project volunteer with work with all board members during and apart from its monthly meeting, the 3rd Wednesday, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm, at WSU Extension, 222 North Havana. If the volunteers instead opt to serve as committee members to work on the organization's education project, they will work closely with Dr. Roisin Lally, who is also the Kids in the Garden Chair serving on the Board of Directors. Preference may be given to students or GU community in education or with a strong education interest, and second to those with a strong community gardening or local food interest.

One of the first goals of this position is to brainstorm potential topics of broad interest to the school, youth, service, and community gardening community and the local food network community - to be delivered at the Spring and Fall Special Guest Speaker meetings. The position lines up educational guest speakers for these meetings and coordinates with the board regarding speaker stipends.

The second goal of this position is to grow and maintain INCG's Speaker Bureau talks listed on the website and given by the organization's board, committee, and members. The Education Chair or Education Committee members advertise the existence of the Speaker's Bureau to the general public. Talks can often be used to engage the community and rally it around a flagging school, youth, service or other garden and draw attention to that garden in the eye of the public.

The third goal of this position is to help support the provision of the four classes given to underserved gardens in Spokane County through a partnership program. Partners consist of the Master Gardeners of Spokane County, the Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation, Gonzaga University, BECU, and gardens like Chief Garry Community Garden, the Holy Cross Nepali-Speaking Bhutanese Community Garden, Hifumi En Garden, and Fresh Start Community Garden. The four classes consist of Basic Veggies, Composting For Community Gardeners, Food Preservation, and Season Extension.

The fourth goal of this position is to support the Kids in the Garden program and help grow INCG's capacity to meet the organization's educational mission. At a minimum, the Kids in the Garden program consist of tabling at events with a lot of families such as Earth Day or the Fall Compost Fair as well as kids programs accompanying the above classes given to underserved gardens. At a maximum, the INCG Education Chair or Committee Members will compile or create curricula that support provision of independent Kids in the Garden programs as schools, Sunday schools, home schools, summer programs, or other venues.

Assist INCG President Kathleen Callum and GU Professor Roisin Lally with daily (or every other day) watering and weeding of GU and community garden beds. GU rents two beds. Also needing watering are community strawberry bed, raspberry beds, and herb/flower garden.

Currently, the position for INCG Tabling/Outreach chair on the Board of Directors is vacant. Help PR Chair Sherri Robinson (and acting Tabling/Outreach chair) get the word out about INCG, school/youth/service/community gardens, and growing the local food network throughout the Inland Northwest region by tabling or community outreach at various events and venues. Bonus points for helping us locate a volunteer who is interested in filling this position on the board of directors, meeting monthly, the 3rd Wednesday, 5:00-6:30 pm, at WSU Extension, 222 North Havana (near the fairgrounds).

Tabling/Community Outreach volunteers will needed at a minimum for the Logan Block Party (September 7th), the INCG Fall Harvest Potluck & Meeting (October 25th), the Fall Leaf Festival & Compost Fair (October 26), and other events.

INCG is seeking 2-4 people to serve as assistant garden liaisons. The position of Garden Liaison Chair is currently vacant on the INCG Board of Directors. In the meantime, Secretary Karen Adkins will supervise the assistant garden liaison volunteers. These assistants will contact school, youth program, service, and community gardens to explain INCG's mission, verify if all contact and location and other garden information listed on our website is accurate, and begin an inventory of any garden needs (e.g., volunteer work party, need a manager, need bed repair, funds for new infrastructure, etc.). If Karen Adkins directs so, some update to information on the website may be undertaken. There are about 100 gardens and other resource agencies to contact and verify listed information. This is a service project that can be accomplished largely from the comfort of your own cell phone or from your dorm room/student housing! However, it is expected that most garden contacts (if working) may be more available after hours or on weekends.