Stratford House is a Cooperative Living House, which means that the cooking & cleaning are shared among the girls living within the house. Because we are a Christian House, we see it as a wonderful way to serve both the house and our sisters in Christ with joyful hearts. Duties completed by the girls are one of the main reasons that the cost of living at Stratford stays lower than other options on campus.  

Duties are organized so that each girl is assigned 3 hours of duties per week. There are three options of possible duty assignments: meals preps, meal clean ups, and cleaning. 

Meal Preps are completed Monday - Saturday from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (lunch) and Monday - Friday from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (dinner). Girls are given specific instructions on how to cook the meal, and all ingredients are set out on the counter for them ahead of time. Each meal is prepared by two different girls. 
Lunch prep: 1 hour
Dinner prep: 2 hours

Meal cleanups are completed Monday - Saturday from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (lunch) and Monday - Friday from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (dinner). Girls are given a task list that they must complete. Each meal is cleaned up by two different girls. 
Lunch cleanup: 1 hour
Dinner cleanup: 2 hour

Cleaning Duties are completed on Mondays and Thursdays, and girls may complete them anytime between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. A duty card exists for each duty with a task list that must be completed before the girl can sign off that she has done her duty for the day. Examples of duties include: 1st floor bathroom, green couch room, lounge, stove, grill & balcony, stairs, etc. Cleaning supplies are kept on each floor for easy access. 
Monday & Thursday duties: 1 hour

All duties (preps, cleanups, and cleaning) are assigned by the House Manager. Girls send her their available times & preferences at the beginning of each semester. Girls can permanently switch or temporarily switch their duties with another girl due to scheduling conflicts or illnesses. 

An example of duty assignments:
Girl 1: Monday dinner cleanup, Wednesday lunch prep, Thursday duty
Girl 2: Thursday dinner prep, Friday lunch cleanup
Girl 3: Saturday lunch prep, Tuesday dinner prep
Girl 4: Monday duty, Monday duty, Thursday duty
Girl 5: Tuesday lunch cleanup, Thursday duty
With so many options, the possibilities are endless!