Money Matters, or Does It?

A matter of tension for the Ubuntu Community is money. As a community this group of students has chosen to divide the janitorial duties of the hall so that the paycheck goes to the community as a whole. This is a good plan because it gives the community income to fund projects, meals, and outreach but there is often meetings after Sunday evening meals to make a group decision as to how this money is to be divided and spent.

One particular area which was discussed in depth was regarding the communal kitchen that the group shares. The community agreed that it was acceptable to spend some of the group’s income on food and cooking supplies for meals and snacks but two things needed to be decided further; first how much of the income should be allotted in this area and secondly what items should the group agree be covered by these funds. Christine Amstutz admitted "Sometimes I am unsure if baking a cake which the whole community will eat, is a communal cost or an individual cost. When I am unsure I consult a few other group members to hear their thoughts before I make a decision."

Much discussion took place regarding the two previous questions and each member had a different idea about how much money should be spent. Some felt that breakfast food such as cereal and coffee should be covered because many community members choose to eat breakfast in the kitchen instead of in Marbeck. Others felt these expenses should not be covered because each student has a meal plan in Marbeck which can be spent on breakfast, basically food would be bought when the school has a way of providing breakfast. Snack foods were also brought into question because many people enjoyed snacks but realized that these were not necessary.

In the end, Ubuntu decided that there wouldn’t be a set percentage of income put towards food but they did decide on items covered. The items that are covered are general staples such as milk, cheese, bread and eggs and then whatever items are needed to cook the Sunday evening meal for that week.