JerrySpaceIdea

Introduction/Definition/etc

Describing an idea for Funding Input.

Body

One of the things that are not available in Northern Virginia for consumers/

survivors/ ex-patients, is an open shop/ garage/ open yard and house area,

plus a consumer driven and selected meeting space for regional .

meetings and peer to peer interactions plus other ideas described briefly below.

Using the model of Hackerspaces. which are emerging technical common areas /

communities with tools (soldeirng, oscilliscopes, signal processing, parts some shop equipment

like saws, vise, projectors for technical movies, storage space for donated parts for creating/

designing new devices) for electronics and other types of DIY (Do It Yourself), crafty and artistic projects. 

HacDC.org was created about a year ago, but is too far away for most people

in Northern Virginia to participate regularly, and conveneiently, and

costs membership money (about $50/ month / person) for rent, expenses, etc..

Plus while knowlegable, not as welcoming to mental health, disability, homeless

and poor people as I would like,  and not wheelchair accessible,

so what DIY people tend to do is, CREATE/ MAKE OUR OWN.

Some things that might be done in the C/S/X Hackerspace, 

I'm Dubbing JerrySpace include:

TECHNICAL SHOP

1. learning and transfereing technical skills to and from c/s/x, while LMEC and other places teach office MicroSoft software, it is costly and clerical / administrative mostly, not servers, communication, networking, and hardware oriented
2. refurbishing computers for c/s/x use
3. learning about assistive tech, screen readers,netbooks, handheld, cell, wifi, etc

CREATIVE  TECHS

1. Audo/Video recording, for documenting conferences and c/s/x events plus c/s/x initiated creative arts and technical projects.  Disability oriented community tv shows exist in the DD community, but not yet for mental health/ homeless in this area.  Streets.TV is one model of awareness in the DC Public TV area, which has not made it into the NoVA suburbs yet...
2. digital photography,

Robots: 

1. Toy and real robots are high tech, which most C/S/X may have not experienced.  The therapeutic value of play is not really appreciated.  Anyone spending quality time with children and appreciate gadgets give a thrill / emotional boost, that medication and traditional therapy has not provided to me, and in some cases a reason to live....
2. Assistive use of robots like Roomba (vacuuming automaton) for seniors and some other mobility and cleaning challenged folks, common in the disability community

BIKE  POOL/ COMMUNITY  BIKE  SHOP

1. A Bike loan/ rental place for consumers to get exercise, organize group rides, possibly learning some touring techniques and try different types of bikes (folding/ recumbent/ sizing/ designing solar, etc)  Basic bike skills, perhaps for helping people who have never or been decades since being on a bicycle.  Bikes@Vienna has some of the recumbent bikes that people worried about falling over, and adult trikes might make a good first step for those interested, but not yet tied such things.  Organizing group training and social events would promote healthy lifestyles into the c/s/x community.
2. and perhaps maintain/ or assemble a bike for their own use Mount Ranier Coop and other community bike shops allow empoverished (and other) people to donate time, learn how to assemble and maintain a bike and end up with a bike from parts available and donated.

WAREHOUSING  AND  EXCHANGE

1. temporary storage space: sometimes c/s/x and homeless move frequently and  if in a warehouse, limited loading dock type area, might be able to store stuff temporatiliy, depending upon the community based decision process
2. donating excess equipement and recirculating area, like someone has an extra fan, A/C, Fridge, Cabinet, table/ garden hose, etc and it finds a home among the community, similar to FreeCycle and other recycling projects but cheaper than Thrift Shops and available to the general C/S/X and disaibility community, but still part of the larger public community
3. meeting area/ brokering moving help: so an so has a ttruck, some guys/ gals are willing to help, more like more rural/ farm environment, neighbors helping neighbors, and creating community on that type of thing too.

MOTORPOOL

1. MOTORPOOL: transportation is such a big issue for c/s/x and poor people in general.  Various Drop In Centers have vans, and more are trying to acquire them, but a common space and perhaps shop area for light work, plus having enough for car/van sharing similar to the commercial model Zipcar and local governments have to go to regional, state and local events. How people are authorized and selected to drive, insurance and other legal matters to be worked out.  Hybrid Vans for sustainability and lower cost operation, plus being environmentally friendly and CoolCommunities CO2 friendly

HOME MANAGEMENT

1. Acquiring/Learning and transfering skills for home management Many c/s/x, myself included, have never owned a home, much less had a garage/ workshop, technical community where you could learn about and build plus try really geeky stuff like Garduino (an automated plan nursery system based on Arduino open source hardware described in the latest Make Magazine by O'Reilly).

1. and more common electronics like Audio/Video, dvd creation, audio and video editing workstations

YARD

1. Interest in natural environments is stiflled by people not having a yard, much less a garden.  Some day programs like Mount Vernon's CDT (Comprehensive Day Treatment), since renamed to something else, had a garden and even a memorial tree(s) for lost program member(s).  Horticulultural and gardening, Farmer's Markets like in Loudoun, Cooking/ Baking, etc, are missing in most c/s/x environments, as mentioned in the Funding Input session for Woodburn Crisis Care requesting a Hot House (covered all season growning area).  But if people are out of that program, or not in crisis how would they have access to such a place?.  Community gardens are not widespread in Fairfax County, though some appear to exist in Arlington near the Four Mile Run and Shirtlington and perhaps other areas.
2. ADD YOURS HERE, CREATING THINGS AND IDEAS IS THERAPEUTIC

CRASH SPACE

1. Mad scientists/ tinkerers and generally depressed and energy challenged creative people talented might need a break / nap time and the area would have a restful nap, safe stayover and might lead to learning how to do/ evolve into a mild peer based crisis based residential area, which currently is not well understood / accepted / realized in this area/ region.

COSTS (Still in an idea stage.)

Main categories of costs would be

1. buying (though maybe renting space) with a shop, yard, and living/ meeting space.
2. Costs for buying equipment, electronics and
3. hybrid vehicles
4. plus bikes (folding, recumbent, regular ordinary),
5. operating expenses for startup until freestanding organization and community develops limited to about a year to really get off the ground, but some HacDC experience and other resources possibly to shorten the time. 
6. Personnel considered to pay people to start this up.  It's a labor intensive process, and done better with community development process.  Meetings for getting people together to learn what it is and what it could be, similar but quicker than Drop In Centers...
7. filing / incorporation fees and
8. board/ officer development, finding corporate and other foundation/ community supports plus publicity
9. and further research work.

Conclusion

Summary of experience or similar

Discussion

A place for feedback on the page presented

Page History

20090619 Jerry

• Jerry created this page to put out a laundry list of ideas for funding, mostly centered around having some common tech space for c/s/x...

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