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Hello Holden,
A particular sacredness is felt as the sun finally makes its way over Buckskin Mountain and anticipation of spring fills the Village. Winter at Holden Village is a time of resilience. The season means limited sunshine, early mornings stoking the fires in each of the Village boilers, and the ongoing challenge of maintaining limited hydroelectric power. Every Villager is mindful of energy conservation–our reliance on the flow of Copper Creek is a constant reminder of our deep intertwinement with the natural world. Warmer days bring renewal within ourselves and the whole Earth – the chirp of birds high in the trees, the rush of Railroad Creek swollen with snow melt, and the contagious excitement as Villagers gather to rejoice in the sun’s warmth.
Emerging from the challenges of winter, Villagers are ready to embrace Life Anew. Preparations are underway for welcoming seasonal staff, guests, and the new Executive Directors, Bjørn and Elise Peterson and family. It is an exciting time at Holden as new life emerges throughout the Valley.
The rebirth of the surrounding ecosystem supports the season of Lent. Days lengthen and people of faith across the world pause and reflect on the meaning and purpose of the spiritual path, resilience and joy. Together we rededicate to the disciplines of generosity, prayer, simple and sustainable living. May this be a time to enjoy the reflection, presence, and awe that comes with the changing season and renews all of our commitments to justice and action!
Peace,
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Stacy Kitahata, Mark Bach, and Kathie Bach
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Help Us Find Summer Staff for Holden Village! | |
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Holden Village thrives because of the incredible people who come to serve, learn, and grow together. Gearing up for another transformative summer, you make the difference in recruiting passionate individuals to join the summer staff!
How You Can Help:
Share Your Love for Holden – Tell your friends, family, and community about your experience at Holden and why they should consider joining staff. A personal story goes a long way!
Personally Invite a Young Adult – Know a college student, recent grad, or adventure-seeker looking for a meaningful summer? A direct invitation from you makes all the difference.
Spread the Word on Social Media – Share Holden’s recruitment posts or create your own, tagging friends who might be interested.
Thank you for being part of this community! Let’s work together to bring in an amazing staff for a transformative summer.
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Holden Village is ready to welcome you for short-term, seasonal, or long-term positions! Access to hiking, art studios, learning sessions, and more make your time on Holden staff unforgettable. Click on each position for more information. | |
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Holden welcomes families and their children to join the Village as two week volunteers. Through the Narnia program, children ages 4-11 attend fun and inspiring programming while their parents work. Older kids have tasks of their own. The Family Option welcomes families who might not otherwise be able to live and work at Holden. During summer 2024, 18 families joyfully participated in the Family Option!
The 2025 Family Option terms begin as early as June 6th. Applications are open now. Priority deadline is April 1. Click the link below to learn more and apply!
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Indigenous Artist-In-Residence Program | |
A two- to four-week self-guided residency for Indigenous artists offers opportunities for independent creative work in a private studio space and also rich engagement with the Village community. Application for Holden's 2025 Indigenous Artist-In-Residence program is now open until May 15, 2025! Artists working in any medium including visual arts, literary arts, theater, music, movement, and healing arts are invited to apply; with particular welcome to new and rising artists. Please see the website for comprehensive details and a flyer to share broadly. Complete this application and submit a portfolio showcasing your work to: program.manager@holdenvillage.org.
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Men's Retreat: A Tremendous Experience
Thank you to all who participated in Holden’s Men’s Retreat Weekend, Integrating the Masculine. The joyous practices of drumming, poetry, and shared learning made for a memorable experience for many. Keep an eye out for next year’s Men’s Retreat!
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Sun Over Buckskin Day!
For four months out of the year, Holden receives very limited direct sun due to the tall mountains and low sun angle. Villagers gathered to celebrate an iconic Holden Holiday, Sun Over Buckskin. With true Holden Hilarity, Villagers danced, played games, and enjoyed the sunshine!
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Cascades Wolverine Project
Holden welcomed back the Cascades Wolverine Project, a grassroots organization documenting the lives of Northwest wolverines. During their most recent visit, we found that a camera station had captured evidence of one of the elusive animals living in our area! Presently, biologists estimate that there are about 30-50 wolverines living in the North Cascades, which makes every wolverine discovery quite exciting.
Wolverines have always captured the imagination of visitors to Lake Chelan. The Cascade Wolverine Project shared this article from an 1894 edition of Forest and Stream Magazine. It chronicles the exploits of a fur trapper who wintered on Lake Chelan and encountered the gluttonous mustelidae.
Stay updated on wolverine activity by following their social media and website at the links below!
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Support the Cascades Wolverine Project! 1% of all sales from the Holden Store go directly to the Project. Shop a selection including our cookbook and stickers online or visit in-person for our full selection of pottery, merchandise, books, and more! | |
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March Women's Retreat - March 21-24
There’s space for you at Holden's March Women’s Retreat! Reconnect with the self and engage other women in conversation, recreation, and community. Download and share the flyer below:
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Spring Work Weeks - April 28-May 4 and May 5-11
Come to Holden to de-winterize and prepare the Village for summer. Work Weekers receive three meals a day, housing in one of Holden’s historic lodges, and free parking at Field’s Point Landing (you make your own boat tickets); plus, the opportunity to share conversation, laughter, and community with the Village! All that in exchange for several hours of spring cleaning. Come for one or both weeks!
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Save the Date: Fall and Holiday Registration Opens March 7
Fall may seem like a long way away, but it is never too early to plan your holiday in the mountains! September to December is quieter time for the Village and a beautiful time to visit.
More information about Fall Sojourn (September 14-21) and a September Queer Renewal retreat is forthcoming.
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Lent through the Lens of Justice: A letter from Village Pastor Abby d'Ambruoso
Lent is the springtime of the soul. This year, our collective spiritual garden seems to have many “weeds” of injustice popping up. Like a gardener surveying a neglected plot of land, many of us feel overwhelmed by the onslaught of challenges that arise every day. Returning to the spiritual traditions of Lent, we reimagine the ancient practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving through the lens of justice. Strength for the work before us is renewed. We can fast from despair that keeps us from engaging courageous community. We pray for the vulnerable, take action, and let protests be part of our prayer. Dismantling hierarchies, almsgiving becomes solidarity and mutual aid.
“Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” 1 John 3:18
For many years, the summer offerings of Fullness of God Lutheran Church (the worshipping community of Holden Village) have been shared between two organizations, one local and one further away. In 2024, we were delighted to support FYRE: the Foundation for Youth Resiliency and Education in Okanogan County as well as Dar al-Kalima Lutheran School in Bethlehem, Palestine.
-Abby
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Attention Thrivent Financial clients!
Holden Village is enrolled as a participating organization in Thrivent Choice. The Thrivent Choice Dollars program lets eligible clients choose where Thrivent distributes a portion of its charitable giving each year.
But hurry! The deadline to designate this year’s Thrivent Choice Dollars is March 31. Don’t let your Choice Dollars go undesignated! To direct your Choice Dollars to Holden Village, visit the Thrivent website.
Ways to Give: Bequests
How can you make sure your charitable legacy is preserved after you die?
One way is to include a bequest in your estate plan. A bequest is a provision in a will or trust that designates specific assets, property, or money to be distributed after an individual passes away. These bequests can be expressed as specific items, in dollar amounts, or as a percentage.
Bequests in estate planning offer numerous advantages. They allow individuals to control asset distribution, ensuring their wealth benefits chosen heirs, charities, or causes. Tax benefits can reduce estate taxes, particularly with charitable bequests. They also help avoid family disputes by clearly outlining beneficiaries. Bequests provide a way to leave a lasting legacy, supporting loved ones or philanthropic efforts.
By incorporating planned giving tools like bequests into your financial strategies, you can support causes you care about while potentially realizing tax benefits and ensuring your legacy aligns with your values.
To learn more about planned giving and talk about how your connection to Holden can be strengthened through legacy planning, please reach out to Eric Bosell, our interim Director for Advancement, at eric.development@holdenvillage.org or 509-903-8756. Seek the advice of an attorney when making your estate plans.
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Reference herein to any specific commercial products or services does not necessarily constitute or imply its
endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Holden Village.
PHOTOS: Ellen Callender, Hannah Lauber, Mark Bach, Berit Kirkegaard, Alexa Hwang, Cascades Wolverine Project, Elli Vegdahl-Crowell
Newsletter edited by Ellen Callender
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