Systemic Perspective

At RSFIC we work a lot on growing solidarity and de-growing individualism. Solidarity (working together, caring about each other's goals, sharing information and resources) is, in our humble opinion, our best bet for long-term resilience. Individualism (paying corporations for everything you need) is a dead end. We can see that faraway businesses will just keep cranking up prices to the highest point they can and leave us with nothing.

I'm not just talking about Netflix subscription prices. Our current fad of individualism undercuts our power in every part of our lives. Water quality, the prison pipeline and its slave labor, health insurance, and even climate change are fueled by our tendency to want to pay for a solution rather than limit ourselves to what we can accomplish with our neighbors.

We need to find examples of folks working together. We've got to remember how to practice solidarity before it's too late.

River City Housing Collective

The River City Housing Collective (RCHC) is a nonprofit cooperative dedicated to providing quality, affordable housing to the Iowa City area. From their website, rchc.coop:

Unlike other rental opportunities, RCHC is managed and operated through the collective efforts of our members, not a landlord. Shared responsibility for cooking, cleaning, maintenance, and administrative tasks allows RCHC to continue to grow in its mission of sustaining a healthy physical and social environment for all of its members. 

This organization has been going for almost fifty years, right here in Iowa City, providing some of the very cheapest housing in town by working together.

Wouldn't you just love an opportunity to learn more about how that's possible, meet the current generation of folks living there, and even pitch in with a small dose of some world-saving solidarity??

RCHC Painting Party!

On Sunday (June 14) from 10:00-1:00 you'll still be feeling good from Bike-in Beats, and RCHC is having a painting party for their Bloom house:

They are painting the INTERIOR rooms of this house and they are opening up the party for folks to come check out the house and help paint. They've got the supplies, just show up and help as you can. It'll be a great opportunity to learn more about RCHC and do something constructive at the same time - not to mention see the inside of this cool place.

Sunday, June 14th, 10:00 - 1:00 at 935 E College St. Wear stuff that can get painty!

Peace,

Riley

PS: RCHC is one of our pilot NRGs! RSFIC helps groups of neighbors who want to work on a shared vision of resilience in their neighborhoods. I'm proud to have such a long-running group as RCHC on board :)