February 2019 Newsletter
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Dear Friends,
On Fridays we conclude our 12-Steps for Healing sessions with each participant sharing three things which went well in the past 24 hours. “I got out of bed;” “I had a great conversation with my sister back East;” or “The coffee was better than usual” reflect the array of responses. Whether seemingly big or small, bringing to consciousness things which we can appreciate strengthens us so we can respond with wisdom, courage and grace to opportunities and challenges which arise.
What went well for The Healing WELL? Thanks to your generosity, we met our matching grant and surpassed our holiday appeal goal by 38%. We were showered with holiday decorations for our new home, and beautiful gifts and food for our community. Long-time volunteers assumed significant new responsibilities, and several more people have joined our community. Our participants have led creative wellness sessions, and opportunities to engage more with the neighborhood abound. As we expand and deepen our wellness offerings, and partner even more actively with our neighbors to help build on the strengths in our Tenderloin neighborhood, we are shored up by what we’ve been given. One of our participants recently brought us this bouquet (pictured above) with this note:
... Each morning I wake up to excitement knowing I have such a safe place to go for such inspiring and beautiful groups, filled with such amazing people who I can learn such a great deal from..."
We are so grateful for our beautiful space, for this community, and for the opportunities which lie ahead. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kathy
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“Abundance” marked our holiday season. So many holiday decorations donated, beautiful gifts shared, delicious food consumed… We strengthened our Healing WELL community by singing and laughing together, and allowed generosity and kindness to guide our steps.
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Thank you Healing WELL Friends, A LaRocca Seafood, and Sabella and LaTorre Restaurant for putting on a fantastic Crab Fest for our community. From, “It was one of the most fun nights of my life,” to “Eating crab is a lot of work, but it’s great!” to “I loved eating at a beautiful table with people I like”, the joy still abounds several days later.
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Congratulations LIP Grads!
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We congratulate Matthew and Lotus, our two most recent graduates of the Leadership Intern Program (LIP.) In addition to offering hospitality to our guests and leading outreach visits, both led a self-designed session for the community: Lotus regaled us with an afternoon “Sing-A-Long” and Matthew shared his personal experience around alcohol, prompting an open and supportive discussion for our community. We look forward to our next cohort, beginning in March.
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Thanks to our Community Host, Sal, for organizing “field trips” for our community on holidays. Above, two of our participants are immersing themselves in The Museum of the African Diaspora on MLK Day. Over the holidays, our community members enjoyed a collective sand art experience at Ocean Beach, joined the vigil to Remember Homeless People who Died on the Streets, participated in Meditation and Cooking sessions at the public library, and enjoyed a Luminescent Concert and the Fairmont’s Gingerbread House. On President’s Day, we’ll take a trip to Yerba Buena Gardens. Please contact us for more information.
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Fifteen members of The Healing WELL community enjoyed The Cutting Ball Theater production, “Tenderloin Tour” in January. Fortified by a delicious meal donated by Bon Appetit and Presidio Foods Catering, we were inspired by this documentary-style play, featuring a collage of interviews of Tenderloin community members. Afterward, one participant noted,
“it’s good to be reminded of the diversity and power of this neighborhood, and it’s SO out-there! We will not be contained.”
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Volunteer Appreciation: Rich
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Thank you, Rich (
pictured middle, in a black/white checkered shirt.
) For helping found The Healing WELL, leading the 12-Step groups, serving on our advisory committee, and going above and beyond every day, we are profoundly grateful. May this next phase in your life’s journey be wonderful. We already look forward to your visit in March!
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in our weekly art classes, we draw and paint, work with beads and paper mache, create collages and ceramic figures (pictured above.) While each session has a project, participants are welcome to use whatever medium they choose.
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John O’Donohue’s “May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder,” prompted this participant reflection during our Spiritual Life Discussion:
Often times I find myself getting into the hum-ho mindset when it comes to each day. I guess I forget that each day is a gift. I get set in my ways. What I could do is change it up a bit, and do things that make the experience special. That would entail a journey of the heart and mind to find such things, like if I were to take a journey into space. Ultimately, being thankful for each day is the answer. I want to be considerate of that. Today.
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Donations by check, addressed to "The Healing WELL," are also welcome.
Please mail them to:
The Healing WELL
476 Eddy Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.
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The Healing WELL is a fiscally-sponsored project of Community Initiatives
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