Table of Contents

• Introduction
• In 2012...
• OUTREACH
• FUTURE
• FINANCES
• Honorary Board of Directors

Alternatives was founded in 1973 as a protest against the commercialization of Christmas.

Up to 1995, the organization produced:

• The Alternatives Quarterly (10 years)
• Best and Worst Christmas Gift Contest
• Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? booklet for families (10 years)
• Christmas Campaign for Congregations (packet for church leaders) (10 years)
• Lent/Easter packets (5 years)
• Alternate Celebrations Catalogs (6 editions)
• Various titles: “Voluntary Simplicity,” “Simply Delicious: Quantity Cooking for Churches,” “Those Who Speak for God.” “Guide to World Hunger Organizations” (with Seeds Magazine), “Shalom Connections” and “Wedding Alternatives” (“Nuestra Boda” Spanish version)
• Book Service Catalog
• A series of Bulletin Inserts for holidays and special occasions
• Three videos: “Alexander Scrooge,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Break Forth into Joy!”

Also, the organization:

• bought an old general store and moved to Ellenwood, Georgia
• established a membership plan and member newsletter

After moving Alternatives from Georgia, to Sioux City, Iowa, in August, 1995, the new staff:

• Published three titles of reissued material with WoodLake Books: “Treasury of Celebrations,” “Alternative Wedding Book” and “Simplify & Celebrate”
• Established a local corps of volunteers and a national speakers bureau (SLOW Down Network)
• Established an extensive web site: www.SimpleLiving.org
• Cataloged and organized an expanding library of over 4000 volumes
• Produced and marketed “Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?” in 10-25 customized versions annually, including the Advent-Christmas calendar bulletin insert. Over two-and-a-half million copies of the booklet have been circulated!
• Produced a Spanish version called “Adviento” annually, 1997-2007.
• Produced a 40-Day Lenten Guide in English annually through 2005 and in Spanish (four years)
• Re-issued from other publishers “Leader’s Guide to ‘Unplug the Christmas Machine’ Workshop” and an updated edition of “Living More with Less Study Action Guide”
• Repackaged and marketed past resources, such as “The Christmas Game,” “Christmas Campaign Kit,” “Let Jesus Come, Let Santa Go” (3 audio CDs) and “Who’s Risen from the Dead, Anyway?”
• Establishing a planned giving fund and an Honorary Board of Directors.
• We moved into a geodesic dome building named The Earth Dome, our headquarters and a Care of Creation Center (environmental demonstration project) in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa.
• We issued a gift version of our annual Advent booklet for families -- Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? -- appropriate for bookstores (2004 & 2005).
• We produced two series of radio programs and recruited over 15 stations to broadcast them (2004).
• Produced many NEW RESOURCES:
• “Stories and Songs of Simple Living” book, cassette and CD
• “Simple Living Calendar for Any Year”
• “Sing Justice! Do Justice!” hymn collection
• “Simple Living 101: Toolbook for Activists”
• “Carols with Justice”
• “Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes & Art for simpler living and global justice” – CD-ROM and paper
• “Simply the Best: 30 Years of Alternatives” CD-ROM, the bulk of our work to date (upgraded each year)"
• “Christmas Campaign Kit” (upgraded annually), included “Whose Birthday” audio CD, a Christmas Pageant based on “Carols with Justice,” etc.
• “Spirit of Simplicity” greeting cards and guided journal"
• “The Vision of Simpler Living” DVD: 3 videos"
• “Living Simply and Loving It!” audio CD, which compliments “Simple Living 101”
• “Unplug the Christmas Machine” Workshop-on-a-CD (audio)
• “ The Good Life” curriculum for Vacation Bible School and other uses on paper and CD-ROM, including music accompaniment, booklet & CD.
• We added to our audio CD series with "Carols with Justice," "What Does JESUS Want for Christmas?" and "Christmas Trilogy" ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Celebration Revolution of Alexander Scrooge" and "Let's Get Off the Christmas Roller Coaster").
• We expanded Trade Book titles and sales, introduced more videos and sidelines, such as bumper stickers, greeting cards, and Fair Trade items.
• To conserve natural resources and to utilize North Americans' changing learning styles, we used more CDs and DVDs and no more audio or video tape. Also, we planned more web-based services and resources with briefer messages.
• We issued "Worship Alternatives" on CD-ROM and packet, and "Sing Justice! Do Justice!" audio music CD.
• We changed the look and content of "Whose Birthday?" to be more young-adult friendly. Thanks to the ELCA and Presbyterian Hunger Programs we provided thousands of free copies to college and seminary students.
• We changed the name and focus of our corps of volunteers to Simpler Living Community Network. We strive to provide the motivation, support and skills for them to be more proactive in their communities. It incorporates the SLOW Down Network.
• We expanded our new initiative, Reaching Out to Young Adults (begun in 2005), including a new look for our Resource Guide, web site and other publications; and recruiting more young adults to serve on the board of directors.
• The National Coordinator gave some 300 presentations in over 40 states during 2005-2007 to meet members and volunteers face-to-face and to meet students on college and seminary campuses.
• We issued a new video for the first time in over 15 years, as the centerpiece of our Young Adult Initiative -- Simply Enough: Straight Talk from Tony Campolo & Shane Claiborne on Simple, Just Living. Other resources, including the Simple Choices game, went on hold.
• The partnership with Simple Living Network begun in 2008 to fulfill our orders for resources through their large eStore ended when SLN closed its doors at the end of 2007.
• We conducted numerous surveys and focus groups to make our resources and services more responsive to our customers.

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In 2012...

• We revived Alternatives as Simple Living Works! by updating the website, starting a monthly eNewsletter, blogging weekly and podcasting monthly with Jubilee-Economics.org (our new collaborators).
• All resources were converted to Creative Commons non-commercial, attribution license, which means that anyone can many as many copies as they like as long as they attribute the source(s) and do not sell them for a profit.
• Updated and archived all of Alternatives' videos at YouTube.
• Uploaded numerous audio and text resources to SimpleLivingWorks.org that had not previously been available on the internet.

OUTREACH

We no longer sell anything. We provide the resources produced since 1973 free of charge at SimpleLivingWorks.org >> Archives.

The web site provides material for volunteers who choose to serve as Speakers, Workshop Leaders, Alternative Event Organizers, Simplicity Circle/Discussion-makers, and Project Workers (local media contacts).

Gerald Iversen offers free simple living coaching to groups via the internet.

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FUTURE

SLW! plans to begin more internet-based outreach in 2013, including a Facebook page and several blog posts each week.

SLW! plans to begin a weekly podcast before the end of 2013.

In agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Archives Office, a complete set of Alternatives' resources will be housed in Chicago. Copies of resources will be made available upon request for a nominal cost.

Any new resources will be produced for the internet, not for paper, and provided free of charge.

FINANCES

Simple Living Works! does not solicit nor accept donations. As an all-volunteer organization, it has virtually no over-head.

Our whole operation is lean and frugal. We embrace the message we espouse daily.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Gerald Iversen
Alternatives, 1973-2011
National Coordinator, 1995-2007
Founder, 2011, Simple Living Works!

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Simple Living Works! * SimpleLivingWorks@Yahoo.com
BLOG: SimpleLivingWorks.WordPress.com | Blog INDEX
PODCAST | Podcast INDEX
VIDEOS: YouTube.com/SimpleLivingWorks
MISSION: Equipping people of faith to challenge consumerism, live justly and celebrate responsibly // An all volunteer educational organization.