Community Exchange
Worthwhile Mercantile focuses on strengthening the social connections among Talentonians through an organized exchange of services, skills, and resources.
We call this the Community Exchange.
Imagine a downtown thrift shop where you're always greeted by your name when you walk in. You hear someone ask the lady behind the counter if she knows anyone who could help her get her garden beds cleaned up and ready for spring, and in return she'll give a few jars of her famous salsa that she’ll be making once her Talent Tomatoes are ready. The lady behind the counter opens up The Binder.
You hear about a senior couple in the same apartment complex as your sister who are looking for a regular ride to Medford so they don't have to shop at Ray’s. You remember that your sister makes a trip to Winco in her minivan every week.
You’re looking for a new job and aren’t feeling super confident about your resume when you find out that the guy that lives down the street from you who worked in HR for 30 years is doing a free workshop next week on resume writing.
Your friends' family is ready to finally move out of their Gateway RV into a 2 bedroom apartment with your kids when you hear about a woman moving out of the area who wants all of her furniture to go to people who lost their belongings in the fire.
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One of the most effective ways to help people who are struggling is to create a space where they can build relationships, discover opportunities, and participate in their community.
You get the picture! That is the vision for Worthwhile Mercantile.​
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The first core principle that the Exchange is built on is that EVERYONE has something they could offer to their community. Every single person in this town has a skill or resource or specific expertise that could help someone else who doesn't have it. Pauline spent her career counseling non-traditional students new to college. John was a tree-trimmer for 20 years and still has all his tools and plenty of advice. Cara can cut kids' hair. James has a truck that could be used for moving and dump runs. Laura knows how to make her own laundry detergent with cheap environmental-friendly materials. Just imagine all the ways we could be helping each other with what we all know and can do!
We want the Community Exchange to be the engine that drives these connections, and the Worthwhile Mercantile to be the place where it lives.
If you have some ideas for our Community Exchange program please reach out!
We would absolutely love to hear from you. In fact, we will be relying on you the community to tell us what kinds of exchanges would most benefit you, so please send us an email at info@worthwhilemercantile.com or just use our Contact Form.