On a summer evening, my family loves gardening in our parking spot—especially because neighbors always come by to chat. GASTON CASTANO
Have you ever walked along the shampoo aisle in a drugstore and wondered which bottle to choose? You’re not alone. It’s often hard to know which product to spend your money on.
Over the years, I’ve lived in small places where stores offered very few options. When I ran out of shampoo in Peru, for example, I bought the only kind sold in the village shop. When I returned to Canada, I felt completely overwhelmed the moment I walked into a store. So many things to choose from! And so few that I really needed. Years later, I wondered how our purchases affect the environment. Factories use Earth’s resources to create products, and when we don’t want an item anymore, we often toss it into the landfill. How would the world look if we bought less stuff?
Lately, I’ve been reading about creative ways that people meet their needs without buying much at all. It’s all about community. Did you know that if you want a blender in Toronto, Ontario, you can borrow one from the Kitchen Library? Or that in Kenya, families share a small amount of money—sometimes less than twenty-five dollars—to start entire businesses? And strong communities aren’t just fun to live in. They’re good for the environment and can reduce poverty too. How? Grab a friend and a snack to share, come along and find out!
Do we really need so many options? PINDIYATH100/DREAMSTIME.COM
In university, my dormitory room looked out onto this cherry tree. ELLEN GONELLA
My university dorm room was tiny. I didn’t have my own kitchen or bathroom, and I loved it! Sharing space meant great conversations in the cafeteria, and drinking hot chocolate with housemates in the living room down the hall. These days, I sometimes joke that our apartment building reminds me of my university dorm, and I mean that in a good way!