For many years Simone was living with her family while trying to find a home that was affordable and sustainable for her future needs. She first heard about co-op housing when she met a Stockaders Co-op member while volunteering at the local hospital.
Simone attended co-op meetings and quickly learnt about what the word ‘co-op’ meant – co-operative and co-operation – working together. She became interested and wanted to know more about how these communities worked and how she could be part of it and make a difference.
I really had no idea what being in a co-op meant when I first went to meetings and became a member. At the time, all I knew, was that I was getting housing, which meant the world to me.
Over time, through attending meetings, Simone became more experienced; asked more questions, and deepened her commitment to doing something for herself and others. I started to feel I had some value to add.
Simone became a Stockaders Co-op member in 2006 and has found her experience very rewarding.
It’s so important to have somewhere to live and call home and feel part of a community.
Simone sees her experience mirrored by many other people and families, who over the years have been members of the co-op. She reflects on how rewarding and important it is to have somewhere to live to call home and be part of a community.
Simone has gone from being a general member to being a director and the Co-op Secretary. She admits it’s not all easy and there have been challenges along the way. Personally, Simone says she has had to learn about changing her own mindset, look at things from different perspectives and accept that changes happen. In learning to run a co-op, Simone certainly developed as a person in all sorts of ways. She has seen it in herself, but has seen other members grow as well.
Simone’s a bit of a rebel at heart and over time has realised that being negative gets you nowhere. It’s only through understanding a situation, asking questions, and having an inquiring mind can you can sort out what the real issue is and work together on how to resolve it.
Spreading the co-op word is something that comes from the heart. If you live and breathe it and have experienced the good you can do, you can share with others your real experience and give them a better understanding of what co-op life is like.
Learning new skills, meeting new people, and having a house to call your home is something that everyone deserves. The skills she has learned are immeasurable. She took on the role of secretary with no computer skills as she always thought it was beyond her. She changed her mind-set and applied herself, and realised she really could do this. Life is really surprising, and it has been a great adventure for her.
Simone sees a bright future. She is looking forward to finding ways to work better with CEHL, to bridge the gap that her co-op is feeling. She’s especially looking forward to face-to-face co-op meetings to begin again, to talk and chat to other co-ops, and share the good, and bad, and work on supporting one another again.