CEO Blog

RHD founder and CEO Bob Fishman

Bob Fishman, CEO, Resources for Human Development

Equal Dollars: Our own stimulus fund

3/1/2010 1:53:33 PM

More and more people are discovering Equal Dollars, and our Equal Dollars members are taking advantage of the purchases of food and other goods in the two Equal Dollars stores. I am also taking advantage of this opportunity, and I now save at least $60 U.S. each month in personal costs for vegetables. At the same time I have an abundance of great food in my home for personal use and for gifts to others.

This is a great example of local stimulus money at work. New money (at no interest) has been loaned to the RHD Corporation. It gets used by providing bonus funds for some employees. The employees (me included) use these funds to trade for the goods and the work involved in the packaging of those goods.

Equal Dollars Community Currency (=$) is a non-interest bearing currency that promotes the exchange of goods, services and labor through a membership network in the Philadelphia region. In tough economic times, the community currency movement is growing. We’re proud to be the inspiration for legislation introduced in Vermont, as that state explores the idea of a community currency.

This is the kind of win/win that I want to see more of. Do you have other ideas about the use of =$? I’d like to hear from you!

We’re also looking for donations of clothes (for a tax deduction) to RHD. Please let us know if you have contacts with anyone involved in the manufacture of clothing.