The OANM’s Impact
After participating in an Offers and Needs Market, participants say that they:
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Feel more confident expressing what they need and can offer their community
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Meet a possible friend
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Meet a possible collaborator
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Meet a possible business partner
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Meet a possible employer
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Meet a possible employee
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Plan on starting a business
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Plan on expanding an existing business
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Plan on volunteering for the first time or more
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Plan on sourcing more of their goods locally
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Feel more willing to trust others when exchanging goods or services
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Feel more positive or much more positive
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Feel more confident or much more confident expressing their offers
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Feel more confident or much more confident expressing their needs
Doing the Offers and Needs [process] has been amazing because it has helped people to connect right in the moment. It’s helpful for instant connection. The interesting thing is that the connections look random. When people are meeting each other for the first time there is no relationship, but the Offers and Needs Market has created this way to connect people together instantly without having to build the initial relationship. The OANM creates the foundation for building relationships that could grow from that spot.
We’re stepping beyond our everyday roles to participate as human beings in the Offers and Needs Market. Community connections are the backbone of resilience; if you have relationships across departments and dorms, then you have a more resilient community where people can count on each other, and draw on each other in more meaningful ways.
I was floored by the efficacy and utility of the OANM. The clarity, freedom and personal responsibility inherent to the process setup allowed for a great diversity of needs and offers at the table. The group I witnessed were relative strangers, and still within the short time frame found an abundance of overlap between the gifts offered and the needs named.