Kanthaus wiki - User contributions [en]

Hosting

2026-03-25T14:24:23Z

Lena: Integrated others and own feedback since printed out and hung up 19. Mar

Visitors and groups require a Volunteer or Member to host them during their stay. Hosting is important work, with the host acting as the main connector between the visitor/group and the community. This page collects recommendations about what should be covered by when for a good experience for all. It is written for hosts, but we welcome any curious visitors that may be reading! 😊

== Individuals ==

=== Before committing ===
For a visit to work well, it needs to work for the Host, the Visitor and the House. Don't let enthusiasm get in the the way of good judgement! Consider:

* your own capacities (can you be fully present for the first days and mostly present for the time staying? Do you have sufficient energy and good will to get to know and care for someone new?)
* house's capacities (fullness, mood, illness?). Try to ask house's capacities during CoMe or on [[Mattermost]] and better arrange a fixed time frame with visitor (that can be prolonged later).
* and Visitor's intentions and expectations (do they understand the nature and unusual features of Kanthaus?) Try having a call to get a better impression of them.

=== Before arrival ===

* 📜 [https://kanthaus.online/about/visiting Visiting page] (phancy physalis!)
* announce time of arrival and departure:
** in [[Calendar|digital calendar]] (<code>people</code>),
** on visitor board, and
** in [[Mattermost]] <code>~in-house</code> and/or at CoMe
* reserve a sleeping spot for the first two nights, private unless otherwise agreed

=== Upon arrival ===

* be there to open the door and welcome 😊
* basic needs: water, food, toilets, etc
* find out preferred name, pronouns
* show sleeping place
* help them store their things (shoes, jacket, bag)
* give [[Wifi]] password
* find out food requirements and preferences

=== First full day ===

* house tour (ca. 1-2h)
* show physical calendar, to-do board, responsibility board, [https://pad.kanthaus.online/visitorTaskList Visitor task list]
* tell them that they can esp. approach you as their host for questions
* everything communal unless labeled
* get set up (door access, plate shelf & other storage solutions, potentially office space)
=== Until 1st week ===

* join [[Mattermost]]
* help find an agreeable way to contribute
* sleeping place information & empowerment
* 📜 [https://kanthaus.online/en/governance/collectiveagreements Collective Agreements]
* [[Position attributes table|📜 Position attributes table]]
* [[Positions and evaluations|📜 Positions and evaluations]]
* [[Visitor check-in]] after 7 days (an informal exchange about how people are feeling, with a focus on feedback in either direction. Should cover all points above not yet covered.)
* Self check-in (how do you feel with the Visitor and with hosting? Mind that you always can and should ask other VolMems for support or to take over hosting if needed.)

=== Until 2nd week ===

* 📜 [[Meeting culture]]
* 📜 [[Additional norms]]
* Visitor check-in

=== Until 3rd week ===
* [https://cloud.kanthaus.online/f/921937 📜 Emergency protocols]
* Visitor check-in

=== Every additional week ===

* Visitor check-in (with the option to instead have an evaluation with or without applying for Volunteer, note that Visitors as well as VolMems can and should ask for an evaluation if useful e.g. lack of communication level)

=== Before departure ===

* ask them to write in the guestbook
* tell them to check all places for personal things (sleeping rooms, offices, towel + bathroom shelf, plate shelf, shoe rack, vortex)
* ask for email address for potential future contact

== Groups ==
(Doesn't work hosting at Kanthaus? See [[Other places for groups]])

=== Clarify the basics ===

* communicate and find out the following:
** what is it that they are doing?
** how many people are coming?
** when will they arrive (earliest) and leave (latest)?
** which room(s) will they be using for day-time activities?
** which room(s) will they be using for sleeping?
** (when) will they participate in dinner preparation?
** will they bring food or help us recover it?
* communicate to KH residents about the group coming
** make a Mattermost post in ~kanthaus and/or a CoMe point
** put it in the nextcloud calendar in the following format: <code>Group name (n ppl) [host]</code>

=== Before arrival ===

* reserve the room(s)
* keep KH residents posted about changes in group size, arrival time, room usage and/or duration of stay
* check the room(s) you offered them for usability, cleanliness and clean them if necessary

=== Upon arrival ===

* be there to open the door and welcome them :)
* show them where they can leave their stuff
* show them the room(s) they will be using
* invite them to use the rest of the house as well
* give them a key/tag and/or teach them the door code

=== During ===

* give a house tour if wanted
* regularly check in with them to make sure everything is fine
* be available for questions
* make them aware of the guest book and invite them to leave an entry

=== After ===

* check the room(s) and leave them in a usable state
* check privatizable storage areas and clear names if necessary
== Other information ==

=== Visitor task list ===
There's currently a [https://pad.kanthaus.online/visitorTaskList# pad] with potential things visitors could do while in Kanthaus. This list is meant to be comprised of tasks which can be done with little to no help from experienced residents. It’s things which are small, and accessible; not super urgent, but still useful. Some tasks have names next to them which can be read as an invitation to get in contact with residents.

=== Communal agreement ===
There was a communal agreement on hosting duties. It was removed after a constitutional change in July 2025.<blockquote>Hosts—Volunteers or Members which agree to host a Visitor—are responsible for taking care that their Visitor and the other residents have the best time possible. This responsibility includes tour-guiding, question answering, helping to avoid common problems and resolving tensions. Hosts are also responsible for organizing a check-in for the Visitor after the Visitor has spent ~7 days at Kanthaus. The check-in round is an informal chat in which the Visitor, their host and one or two Volunteers/Members see how things are going for the Visitor and other residents. Hosting Duty should be explicitly transferred if the current host leaves for more than 2 or 3 days.</blockquote>
[[Category:Social]]

Hosting

2025-11-12T17:32:30Z

Lena: Small addition

Visitors and groups require a Volunteer or Member to host them during their stay. Hosting is important work, with the host acting as the main connector between the visitor/group and the community. This page collects points important for a consistent experience, but don't forget to make it a personal experience 😊

== Hosting individual Visitors ==

=== Before arrival ===

* make sure they've read the [https://kanthaus.online/about/visiting Visiting page on the website] (phancy physalis!)
* get an idea of their intentions for their visit
* talk about the weird and wonderful features of Kanthaus:
** functional living (i.e. more like a hostel + coworking + hackerspace + etc than a shared flat)
** how we get most of our food without spending money
** relative coldness in winter
** …
* agree on date (and time) of arrival (and maybe departure) where you can be present for first 2 days, then inform Kanthausians:
** put it in [[Calendar|digital calendar]] ("people"),
** write it on the visitor board, and
** announce on [[Mattermost]] and/or at CoMe
* reserve a sleeping spot for them for at least the first two nights, preferably a private room

=== Upon arrival ===

* be there to open the door and welcome them 😊
* help satisfy basic needs (water, food, where are toilets, etc)
* establish preferred name, pronouns
* help them store their things (shoes, jacket, bag)
* show them where they'll sleep that night
* tell them the [[Wifi]] password
* find out food requirements and preferences
* be available for a chat
* make it clear that it's cool to hang out in the communal spaces

=== First day ===

* do a house tour (ca. 1-2h)
* show the physical calendar and todo board, explain schedule for next 24 hours
* encourage them that the most useful thing they can do in the first couple days is to pay attention, read signs, figure out what they need, get introduced to people and ask questions
* point out that being criticized is not meant personally and happens to everyone here
* get set up:
** door tag
** office space
** snack kitchen use
** plate shelf & other storage solutions

=== Check-ins (once every week) ===

* check the [https://kanthaus.online/en/governance/collectiveagreements Collective agreements] are understood
* invite them to Mattermost
* show and explain the task distribution board (hanging next to the main office) and one-time tasks, see [https://pad.kanthaus.online/visitorTaskList Visitor task list]
* go over [[Meeting culture]] and [[Additional norms]] together
* talk about [[Position attributes table|Positions]] and [[Positions and evaluations|Evaluations]]
* go over [https://cloud.kanthaus.online/f/921937 emergency protocol]

=== Before departure ===

* invite to write in the guestbook
* remind them to check all the place they might have stored or left stuff:
** rooms they slept in
** offices they worked in
** towel + bathroom shelf
** plate shelf
** shoe rack
** other storage locations
** vortex
* ask them for their email address if they want to receive our newsletter in future

== Hosting groups ==
(Doesn't work hosting at Kanthaus? See [[Other places for groups]])

=== Clarify the basics ===

* communicate and find out the following:
** what is it that they are doing?
** how many people are coming?
** when will they arrive (earliest) and leave (latest)?
** which room(s) will they be using for day-time activities?
** which room(s) will they be using for sleeping?
** (when) will they participate in dinner preparation?
** will they bring food or help us recover it?
* communicate to KH residents about the group coming
** make a Mattermost post in ~kanthaus and/or a CoMe point
** put it in the nextcloud calendar in the following format: <code>Group name (n ppl) [host]</code>

=== Before arrival ===

* reserve the room(s)
* keep KH residents posted about changes in group size, arrival time, room usage and/or duration of stay
* check the room(s) you offered them for usability, cleanliness and clean them if necessary

=== Upon arrival ===

* be there to open the door and welcome them :)
* show them where they can leave their stuff
* show them the room(s) they will be using
* invite them to use the rest of the house as well
* give them a key/tag and/or teach them the door code

=== During ===

* give a house tour if wanted
* regularly check in with them to make sure everything is fine
* be available for questions
* make them aware of the guest book and invite them to leave an entry

=== After ===

* check the room(s) and leave them in a usable state
* check privatizable storage areas and clear names if necessary
== Other information ==

=== Visitor task list ===
There's currently a [https://pad.kanthaus.online/visitorTaskList# pad] with potential things visitors could do while in Kanthaus. This list is meant to be comprised of tasks which can be done with little to no help from experienced residents. It’s things which are small, and accessible; not super urgent, but still useful. Some tasks have names next to them which can be read as an invitation to get in contact with residents.

=== Communal agreement ===
There was a communal agreement on hosting duties. It was removed after a constitutional change in July 2025.<blockquote>Hosts—Volunteers or Members which agree to host a Visitor—are responsible for taking care that their Visitor and the other residents have the best time possible. This responsibility includes tour-guiding, question answering, helping to avoid common problems and resolving tensions. Hosts are also responsible for organizing a check-in for the Visitor after the Visitor has spent ~7 days at Kanthaus. The check-in round is an informal chat in which the Visitor, their host and one or two Volunteers/Members see how things are going for the Visitor and other residents. Hosting Duty should be explicitly transferred if the current host leaves for more than 2 or 3 days.</blockquote>
[[Category:Social]]

Repro orga

2025-11-12T16:40:53Z

Lena: Added section for task distribution board

💖 How we organize our reproductive work.

== Repro what? ==

Reproductive work is the work that needs to be done to keep things running. It’s the underlying foundation that people need to focus on something else. It’s about food, cleaning, maintenance, tidiness and social care. Or to say it with wikipedia:

<blockquote>Reproductive labor or work is often associated with care giving and domestic housework roles including cleaning, cooking, child care, and the unpaid domestic labor force. ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_labor Wikipedia]''
</blockquote>
We recognize this kind of work as extremely important and make structures to try and distribute it on as many shoulders as reasonably possible.

== Systems we use ==

We have come up with different systems for different use cases. These systems are by no means exhaustive and they are always a work in progress.

=== Power Hour ===

The weekly time of communal cleaning is meant to establish basic cleanliness and include every resident. It’s a well tested and often improved structure of ours that deserves its’ own page: [[Power hour]]

=== Task lottery ===

Just like the name suggests this is a lottery for tasks. In this case it’s an online toll custom made for us but adaptable to many cases (and important enough to have its’ own page: [[Task lottery]]). We mainly use it for communal food preparation shifts.

=== Repro Sheet ===
[[File:ReproSheet.png|thumb]]
The repro sheet exists in many different versions in a variety of places. It’s simplicity is what makes it so attractive and versatile: You just make a table, put tasks to each day and let people fill themselves in.

This is very useful for times of heightened organization levels, like building weeks when we invite external people to help us with construction work. The influx of new people and the focus on joint efforts results in frequent (maybe even daily) meetings, which can also be used to make sure the repro sheet gets filled.

=== Task Distribution board (for repetitive tasks outside of Powerhour) ===
''How to use:''

* It's now mostly to make repetitive (repro) tasks in the house visible and to help esp. new visitors whom to approach if they want to know more about a task and to find what tasks there exist that they can do.
* The board is in a flexible manner so you can add new tasks (there are already cut out leaves on the right corner).
* You can also mark tasks with a red magnet when you feel the need for attention on some or the wish for more people to support you with a task you're doing.
* On the lower right corner there's a QR code that links to a pad for more information about the tasks.

== Repro work that is not covered ==

We are fully aware that not all the necessary repro work is covered by our systems and that it never will be. Things like emotional care work can not be pressed into a system. Sure, there are ways to try like e.g. appointing a person that can be approached, but who’s to say that people who have a problem will open up to this exact person? There will always be work done that is not part of a system. We have accepted it and try to incorporate this understanding most productively.

=== Laundry ===

Since the perfect moment for doing laundry depends heavily on the weather (solar power, drying space and rain water available) we do not subject it to any system for now. Tilmann is especially motivated to run washing machines when the time is right. He will often do huge amounts of laundry on sunny days and then leave baskets of clean wet laundry in the K20 entrance. If you see one, feel very much invited to put it up somewhere. :) More on laundry on its’ own page: [[Laundry]]

=== Food on the weekends ===

The weekends are a structure-free time. People can make food if they feel like it, but nobody is expecting to get fed. Often people just eat small meals in small groups or someone spontaneously prepares something.

=== Cleaning of central area ===

The [[Kitchen|Main kitchen]], the [[Snack kitchen]] and the [[Dining room]] are used especially much, which naturally results in more need for cleaning. Although we expect everyone to tidy up behind themselves and sometimes do the extra effort of wiping a table or washing some pots, it is obvious that some people do more of this than others.

Usually it goes in waves: - Someone takes extra care and everything looks neat. - That person doesn’t feel like doing this service anymore and/or gets annoyed. - They bring it up or just stop doing it. - If nobody takes over it gets messier, to a point where more people complain. - Everybody becomes more aware and puts in more effort. - Things look neat again. - Over time most people stop putting in extra effort. - And we’re back to the beginning.

So far there was never intense frustration and bringing up the topic actually works. But only for a while. And maybe that’s also okay..?

=== Everything out of the ordinary ===

Irregular cleaning, sorting, organizing and maintaining is always dependent on the initiative of individuals. If they want to make a big communal action out of it, it might work. How it usually goes, though, is that someone sees a task, feels motivation, gets started and maybe someone else joins in.
[[Category:Repro]]
[[Category:Social]]

Hosting

2025-11-12T16:26:59Z

Lena: Replacing the separation between check-ins by a general list for check-ins.

Visitors and groups require a Volunteer or Member to host them during their stay. Hosting is important work, with the host acting as the main connector between the visitor/group and the community. This page collects points important for a consistent experience, but don't forget to make it a personal experience 😊

== Hosting individual Visitors ==

=== Before arrival ===

* make sure they've read the [https://kanthaus.online/about/visiting Visiting page on the website] (phancy physalis!)
* get an idea of their intentions for their visit
* talk about the weird and wonderful features of Kanthaus:
** functional living (i.e. more like a hostel + coworking + hackerspace + etc than a shared flat)
** how we get most of our food without spending money
** relative coldness in winter
** …
* agree on date (and time) of arrival (and maybe departure) where you can be present for first 2 days, then inform Kanthausians:
** put it in [[Calendar|digital calendar]] ("people"),
** write it on the visitor board, and
** announce on [[Mattermost]] and/or at CoMe
* reserve a sleeping spot for them for at least the first two nights, preferably a private room

=== Upon arrival ===

* be there to open the door and welcome them 😊
* help satisfy basic needs (water, food, where are toilets, etc)
* establish preferred name, pronouns
* help them store their things (shoes, jacket, bag)
* show them where they'll sleep that night
* tell them the [[Wifi]] password
* find out food requirements and preferences
* be available for a chat
* make it clear that it's cool to hang out in the communal spaces

=== First day ===

* do a house tour (ca. 1-2h)
* show the physical calendar and todo board, explain schedule for next 24 hours
* encourage them that the most useful thing they can do in the first couple days is to pay attention, read signs, figure out what they need, get introduced to people and ask questions
* point out that being criticized is not meant personally and happens to everyone here
* get set up:
** door tag
** office space
** snack kitchen use
** plate shelf & other storage solutions

=== Check-ins (once every week) ===

* check the [https://kanthaus.online/en/governance/collectiveagreements Collective agreements] are understood
* show and explain the task distribution board (hanging next to the main office) and one-time tasks, see [https://pad.kanthaus.online/visitorTaskList Visitor task list]
* go over [[Meeting culture]] and [[Additional norms]] together
* talk about [[Position attributes table|Positions]] and [[Positions and evaluations|Evaluations]]
* go over [https://cloud.kanthaus.online/f/921937 emergency protocol]

=== Before departure ===

* invite to write in the guestbook
* remind them to check all the place they might have stored or left stuff:
** rooms they slept in
** offices they worked in
** towel + bathroom shelf
** plate shelf
** shoe rack
** other storage locations
** vortex
* ask them for their email address if they want to receive our newsletter in future

== Hosting groups ==
(Doesn't work hosting at Kanthaus? See [[Other places for groups]])

=== Clarify the basics ===

* communicate and find out the following:
** what is it that they are doing?
** how many people are coming?
** when will they arrive (earliest) and leave (latest)?
** which room(s) will they be using for day-time activities?
** which room(s) will they be using for sleeping?
** (when) will they participate in dinner preparation?
** will they bring food or help us recover it?
* communicate to KH residents about the group coming
** make a Mattermost post in ~kanthaus and/or a CoMe point
** put it in the nextcloud calendar in the following format: <code>Group name (n ppl) [host]</code>

=== Before arrival ===

* reserve the room(s)
* keep KH residents posted about changes in group size, arrival time, room usage and/or duration of stay
* check the room(s) you offered them for usability, cleanliness and clean them if necessary

=== Upon arrival ===

* be there to open the door and welcome them :)
* show them where they can leave their stuff
* show them the room(s) they will be using
* invite them to use the rest of the house as well
* give them a key/tag and/or teach them the door code

=== During ===

* give a house tour if wanted
* regularly check in with them to make sure everything is fine
* be available for questions
* make them aware of the guest book and invite them to leave an entry

=== After ===

* check the room(s) and leave them in a usable state
* check privatizable storage areas and clear names if necessary
== Other information ==

=== Visitor task list ===
There's currently a [https://pad.kanthaus.online/visitorTaskList# pad] with potential things visitors could do while in Kanthaus. This list is meant to be comprised of tasks which can be done with little to no help from experienced residents. It’s things which are small, and accessible; not super urgent, but still useful. Some tasks have names next to them which can be read as an invitation to get in contact with residents.

=== Communal agreement ===
There was a communal agreement on hosting duties. It was removed after a constitutional change in July 2025.<blockquote>Hosts—Volunteers or Members which agree to host a Visitor—are responsible for taking care that their Visitor and the other residents have the best time possible. This responsibility includes tour-guiding, question answering, helping to avoid common problems and resolving tensions. Hosts are also responsible for organizing a check-in for the Visitor after the Visitor has spent ~7 days at Kanthaus. The check-in round is an informal chat in which the Visitor, their host and one or two Volunteers/Members see how things are going for the Visitor and other residents. Hosting Duty should be explicitly transferred if the current host leaves for more than 2 or 3 days.</blockquote>
[[Category:Social]]

Saving food

2025-09-18T13:52:09Z

Lena: Added Food Saving Safety section

🍐 Almost all the food we eat is saved. Here you can find out how that works.

== Getting the food ==
The first step is, of course, to get the food into the house. We have two main ways of doing so:

# foodsharing pickups

Officially agreed-on cooperations with stores are the best way to save food. There are cooperations with different kinds of stores in the area. [https://foodsharing.network foodsharing] is not exclusive to Kanthaus and signing up for a pickup requires being a verified foodsaver on aforementioned page. If you’re interested but need help, talk to Janina.

<ol start="2" style="list-style-type: decimal;">
<li>Dumpster-diving</li></ol>

We also save food from dumpsters of supermarkets. We have several good spots we usually visit by ebike. If you want to see the true extent of food waste for yourself, you should really join in and take a look into a dumpster! Talk to anyone in the house to get involved.

When you come back from a successful food haul, you’ll have crates and bags full of very ripe fruit, partly foul veggies and potentially soiled packaged food. Leave those crates and bags on the floor of the K20 entrance to be found by people in the morning.

== Food Saving Safety ==

=== Mice contact ===
When saving vegetables that had contact with mice, make sure while processing to heat them to 100 degrees in order to inactivate salmonella, leptospirose & hantavirus, which can be transmitted by mice.

The virus will also be deactivated when outside of a host for 2.5 weeks (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10459939/#sec7-viruses-15-01705)
[[Category:Repro]]
[[Category:Practicalities]]