Why Townsourced?
Where did the idea of Townsourced come from? Why is community so important to us?
Tim is the 4th in a family of 5 kids. Tim’s Dad, Jim, is a pastor and when Tim was growing up his mom, Ruth, was a homemaker. Because of Jim’s job, they moved often. They lived in small rural towns in South Dakota, North Dakota and Kansas. In small towns, everyone knows everyone else. Everyone in the community supported the local butcher, grocery store and car garage, not just because there was no other choice, but because they knew the owners of the shops, and they trusted them. The local grocer was a volunteer fire-fighter, the pianist at the church was the town’s piano teacher, the farmer’s kid who picked up rocks for cash in the field alongside Tim was not only Tim’s first co-worker but also his best friend.
Money was tight on a pastor’s salary, but Ruth stretched every penny to keep their growing children fed, healthy and clothed in the cold Northern Midwest winters. Jim and Ruth bought used cars, they shopped thrift stores and garage sales. Ruth patched the knees in holey jeans, fixed zippers and sewed buttons back into place because fixing what was broken was just what one did. Ruth’s favorite quote was, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. She was a master at re-purposing and reusing what was used but still useful.
Through their involvement in the community, Jim and Ruth taught their children to appreciate what they had, respect those around them and work hard for what they wanted.
I was born and raised in ND. My parents, Barry and Lisa, my sister Beth and I lived in a rambler home where the neighborhood kids played in each others’ yards until dusk every night. It was an idyllic childhood filled with good old fashion fun.
My Dad is the third generation to take over the family business. Through lean and successful times “the store” as my family always called it, was a pillar in the community. My first job was dusting the shelves at the store. As I grew older my responsibilities grew. I started helping with inventory and when I had a drivers license, I made deliveries to customers.
“The store” was the epitome of what makes small town businesses great. Excellent customer service, knowledgeable staff and community mindfulness.
My Mom was a working mother who came by her work ethic naturally. My Grandparents were farmers who raised cattle and grew crops. My Mom had many responsibilities as a child. She learned early on that smart planning and working hard was the key to a successful farm. My Grandparents were respected across the entire county, not just for their farm, but for the kindness they showed their neighbors and commitment to their community.
My sister and I grew up playing kick-the-can with our neighbors. We were raised to work hard, support local businesses, know the difference between wheat and barley (barley has a “beard”) and buy quality not quantity.
Both Tim and I grew up knowing that we could not have everything. We grew up knowing that in a small town community, neighbors are more than friends to play kickball with, neighbors support one another. I know that when I host a garage sale and sell the trike our kids have outgrown, not only will I make a few dollars, but a neighbor will save a few dollars, and more importantly, the well-loved trike is being passed on to live another life. Tim knows that when he buys beef from the corner butcher, dessert from the neighborhood ice cream parlor, or a case of beer from the local liquor store, he is helping build a stronger, local economy which creates a better community for our children to grow up in.
We want our kids to grow up with the same community mindfulness we were raised with. We want them to know that shopping local is important and that buying used is not only good for your wallet, it is good for the environment.
We want Townsourced to be your community bulletin board. A place where small communities can post reminders about upcoming local events. We want there to be a local, safer place to sell our kid’s used bike easily and without the concern of meeting a total stranger with cash. We like knowing that if our dog Lucy or cat Astrid got lost, we would have a local online community to post their picture to and help us bring her home. We want to know when the local butcher or liquor store is having a promotional sale, so we can stock up on grilling essentials and our favorite beer.
