Finish line in sight!

It’s been a couple weeks since our last update but that doesn’t mean the team hasn’t been busy.  We briefed the class this afternoon on the status of our project for the last time and are awaiting our final grade and the results of class vote to determine which team will have lunch with the Dean of the Kennedy School.   This exercise, however, was never really about about a grade for our team.  This was about the residents of Youville and keeping a promise we made to them several months ago, which is why we are excited to report that are getting very close towards our end goal – a raised garden bed for the residents of Youville House!

We are hoping to install a new 4′ x 8′ x 24″ raised-bed (which would allow for handicap access), including irrigation, near the fence closet to the sidewalk on Cambridge Street, but we really need your support to make this happen.  As you might expect, these projects can be rather expensive when you start taking into consideration the costs of material and labor.   Fortunately, Green City Growers in Somerville has stepped up to the plate and graciously offered to cover the costs of the raised-bed and installation in exchange for two hours of consulting on fundraising provided we can offset some of associated material and labor costs.

So how can you help? Previously we entertained any and all trade offers, but as we near the finish line our needs are very specific.   First off, we need are in need of helping hands.  We have to remove and relocate an existing raised-bed to where the new garden is going.  Also, approximately half of the soil in the existing raised-bed will need to be replaced with quality organic soil.  We also need to acquire a chemical free stain for the garden box.  With this in mind, we are only looking trade for offers of manual labor, bags of top soil, or chemical free stain for the garden box.  If you’re not interested in making a trade and simply want to make a donation or help with the garden installation then just reach out and let us and we’ll be sure to notify you of when that’s happening.

Thanks again to the amazing staff at Green City Growers!

 

The trading team….

 

Trading update!

Well, it’s been a slow couple of weeks with very few offers to speak of. Fortunately, Mali was able to trade a used vacuum cleaner for a relatively new twin bed with a member of the local Israeli support community, who have been incredibly helpful throughout this entire process.

           

Otherwise, it would seem the project is suffering from the same “spring fever” affecting so many of the students at this time of year, which is a shame given some of the high-end items currently available for trade. I’m guessing folks are spending less time on their computers, and more time outside enjoying the beautiful weather – not sure I can blame them! Hopefully, the pace will pick up  in the near future, especially as we approach our deadline in late April.

Over the coming  weeks, we will be packaging several  trade items together in attempt to identify and procure the services of a local landscaping company willing to help build a garden on the Youville premises in exchange for a single trade item, so please keep the offers coming in!

Thanks again for all the support thus far….

The trading team

Red Paperclip Update!

It’s been awhile since our last update as most of student body was out of town last week during spring break either visiting family, traveling overseas, or job hunting with graduation fast approaching; however, we are back and trading continues! There has been quite a bit of progress since our last update. As you may have noticed, we modified the site to make it a little more user friendly. You may also notice that we have several new, high-end items thanks to several gracious donors/supporters.

Just to briefly highlight some of the items we currently have available:

– 2 hours of consulting or professional coaching on fundraising (provided by Copley Raff Consultants)
– 3 hours of business consulting (provided by Youville’s Director of Marketing)
– Wedding services provided by a certified Justice of the Peace
– Lunch at Sandrine’s French restaurant in Harvard Square (provided by Peace of Mind Healthcare)
– Catered dinner for six in Youville’s garden atrium
– Tandem skydiving jump (provided by Jumptown located in Orange, MA)
– Mink coat
– Treadmill (provided by HRDQ in King of Prussia, PA)
– Vacuum cleaner

It’s extremely critical that we continue on this upward trend as we only have about a month left to reach our goal! Additionally, our professor recently announced that the class will vote on the best project at the end of the semester and the Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School would have lunch with the winning team. If it were up to me, I would love nothing more than to have the Dean dine with the residents of Youville, but we really need your continued support to help us get there. So please keep the offers coming in and remember that we really need to trade something in return for whatever you are offering, so if you don’t see something of interest to you, please try and give us an idea of what you are hoping to receive in return. It will help us strategize current and future trades.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Trading Team

Red paperclip update

We are getting ready to close out on our second round of trades and wanted to update everyone on our trading status. Thanks to our friends at Youville House we have several new items to offer for a possible trade if the price is right! These include 3 hours of business consulting, a mink coat, and a catered dinner for eight. For this process to work, we really need a steady influx of trade items so please keep the offers coming in. The trading can range from concrete items to abstract services. Offers can include appliances, antiques, works of art, tickets to a performance, professional consulting, access to a vacation rental, a free class, a backstage tour, you name it! So don’t miss out on the chance to participate in this exciting project – post an offer here or contact us via email and let us know what you have to trade and we’ll be in touch!

Let the Trading Begin!

So the social experiment has kicked off and the first set of trades are complete with varying degrees of success! This experiment, however, is more than an exchange of material goods. It provides the students, many of whom are not from the area, an opportunity to interact with the local community through the course of their trades. These developing interpersonal relationships are an invaluable part of the project, as the students attempt to fulfill the needs and wants of potential trading partners, while also learning their stories and connection to the Youville House. Please take a look and see how the team did, and more importantly, what’s now available for trade!

JT traded his red paperclip with Bradford Glaser for a barely used ‘Confidence Power Plus Treadmill’. Bradford is the President and CEO of HRDQ, a developer and publisher of experiential HR training and development resources based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, who cares deeply about life long wellness for all ages and wanted to get the team off to a strong start.

Mali reached out to the local Jewish community and was able to obtain a baby gate.

Divya was able to trade her red paperclip for a St. Louis Blues Hockey cap.

Finally, Gatien was able to turn his paperclip into a pair of earrings after an intense week of negotiating with his roommate.

So please reach out and make us an offer we cannot refuse in support of this worthy project. The key is to be creative and identify that one item you could sacrifice or no longer have need for that would be of tremendous value to someone else. Maybe it is that old television you just replaced or possibly even parting with your beloved Red Sox season tickets for a game this summer! You can contact the trading team directly via email or simply post an offer (or comment) on this site and we’ll be sure to write you back.

The next trading period ends on 10 March so don’t delay!

We look forward to hearing from you!

JT, Mali, Divya, and Gatien