We’ve come up with a new way to help you submit your service transactions. All you have to do is fill out the form and hit submit. Give it a try and let us know what you think: http://www.restonuse.org/members/recording-service-transactions/
You can get to this form in the future by selecting the ‘Record a Service Transaction’ option from the ‘Members’ section on the menu bar of the ResotnUSE.org website.
Dear Members:
The month of May in Reston is heavily scheduled with many family and volunteer events, some happening the same day/evening of our potluck. It turns out that Rescue Reston, which protests plans to use a large part of Hunters’ Wood golf course for new housing, thereby obstructing the views of current houses, is meeting on May 5th.With the best interests of our community and members in mind, we are canceling the Sunday, May 5th potluck and election meeting.
Our call for election nominees resulted in uncontested positions, and so the USE members who agreed to serve as officers of the Board will attend the June board meeting and take office in July, 2013. The officers will be announced in July. If you are interested in taking a greater role with Reston USE, let us know.
Small social dinners, held at members’ homes, which started earlier this year will continue through the summer months. One is currently planned for June. If you are interested in hosting a small dinner at your place and earning USE credits,
please let us know: use33@verizon.net.
USE needs members to work one or two hours on a Saturday morning at Lake Anne Farmers Market booth; to help with computer projects, to represent USE at community events; take pictures for public relations and help with special projects.
Email us: use33@verizon.net
Thanks to all who volunteered to help this time and in the past. USE potluck dinners bring vitality and new relation- ships to members, so we will make every effort to continue to have large and small dinner meetings. An end-of-summer potluck is planned for September, so stay in touch .
We will be having our annual potluck and meeting on January 26th. If you haven’t yet responded to the evite, we’ll be sending out a reminder shortly. Please also let us know what dish you will be bringing. We look forward to seeing you there!
Reston volunteers recently counted somewhere around 48 varieties of butterflies—those same gentle and fragile beauties are now ready for a 2,000 mile journey south, and they need food. Does your garden provide a safe place to rest and refuel? If not, read on for a message from USE Board Member Cheri Wubbels:
Create A Free Butterfly Stopover Haven—I have been growing a native North American wildflower—Liatris—in my garden for years. This beautiful plant is also native to Virginia. It bravely withstands heat, drought and heavy rains. It is typically a-buzz with bees and butterflies. Right now you may dig as many as you like from my front yard, or take the seeds for starting your own. FREE!\r\nTall purple spikes of this beauty can be found in commercial floral arrangements, but you can grow your own. Simply cut off the top of the spike and put it in a flower arrangement and watch the remaining spike continue to bloom, and even branch into more spikes.\r\nIf you keep trimming them, they will bloom in to fall, and be in your garden for a Refueling station for those tiny migrating ones. Go to http://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/lofty_liatris for more information from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Bring a small shovel to dig out mature plants, or plastic bags for seeds. Stand back and enjoy butterflies and bees all summer! (The bees that feed in my garden are placid and non-threatening, so you needn’t fear). Cheri Wubbels (703-742-9182)
See it here!
The latest issue of the Reston Association quarterly magazine features an article about USE!
We had a surprisingly good turnout amidst fallen trees, scattered branches, and a tornado warning! Thank you to our wonderful hosts, Kathy and David, for opening their house to us and being great hosts!
We apologize for any inconvenience due to the lack of communication and awareness about the status of the event. Your Board of Directors is working on preventing this confusion next time via email broadcasts, website and Facebook updates, and a phone tree.
Reston USE is celebrating the end of summer with a family picnic on September 8, 2012 from 5pm-8pm. Come meet members who have the talent you need! If you haven’t already received an Evite, send an email to use33@verizon.net. But remember to check your spam folder first.
You will earn one hour of USE credit if you bring a dish or beverage to share, and another hour if you bring a prospective member who joins at the picnic.
Thanks to USE member Susan Worrell for this video which she filmed at a recent USE social event held at the Reston Nature Center
Welcome to the new Reston Useful Services Exchange (Reston USE) Website!\n\nWe are a Reston-Herndon, Virginia, community organization that enables neighbors to help each other by bringing together people with various needs and people who can meet those needs. Members span all ages, from teens to seniors. Services are traded, but no money is paid for them. Repayment is in kind, by performing services for other USE members. We are a time bank: accounts are not kept in dollars, but in hours of USE credit.\n\nMembers pay annual dues of $10 per person or $15 per family, with dues going toward printing and marketing, and mailing the directory and newsletters – although most members receive information by email. Members gather every three or four months for a potluck dinner, ”speed needs” activity, and discussion meeting.\n\nReston Useful Services Exchange was founded in 1975 by Henry Ware (1908-1999) a retired economist. Over the years the concept spread throughout the United States and abroad. USE has been featured in various magazines and on major TV networks. Visit “Our Founder” page for more information about Dr. Ware.\n\nClick on the “Join Reston USE” link to download a membership application.
