Resilience Hubs Kickoff Party

by admin | Feb 19, 2020 | Uncategorized

What do an community garden, youth-led health clinic, library and community center have in common? They are all part of the Resilience Hubs Initiative, building a network of neighborhoods, libraries, community gardens and neighborhood centers that are model sites for community resilience, rooted in three pillars:

** building beloved community
** permaculture-based climate solutions and
** disaster preparedness/response

A group of 25 community organizers gathered at the Oakland Peace Center on February 11th to launch the kickoff of the first cohort of Resilience Hubs. Participants engaged in ice breakers to get to know each other and build community, listened to a presentation about the project and offered strategic feedback around topics of fundraising, planning and trust.

“How do we create deep equitable community spaces” asked on participant. “We must focus on the people power,” offered another. “Let’s create events and project that amplify people connecting, sharing resources, education, skills, knowledge.”

The Resilient Hubs Initiative was created in response to the urgent need to build resilience in our homes and communities in the wake of climate change, drought and social injustice.

The Resilient Hubs Initiative uses a grassroots community-based approach to help scale up home and neighborhood resilience. We are creating a network of sites — including homes, schools, community gardens and neighborhood centers that are “ready for anything” — that are better prepared for natural disasters, climate change and other stressors in our community. Our long-term vision includes providing hubs with online resource guides, community organizing training workshops and support for on-the-ground activities such as garden and water conservation work parties.

The bulk of the 2020 Cohort sites are in Oakland and Berkeley. Sites include Canticle Farm, Gill Tract Community Farm, Dream Roots Youth Clinic and two neighborhoods in Berkeley and El Sobrante known for their neighborhood activities. Sites are requested to work on at least one project over the next six months that is amplified through a public-facing event. Hubs leaders are encouraged to get to know each other both through online communications channels and by attending each other’s events. A small pot of funding is available for work parties, thanks to support from the Lush Charity Pot and Altamont Advisory Fund.

The kickoff meeting ended with a song, led by the Gill Tract’s Coleman Rainey. People’s voices sang together joyfully and ended with a rousing shout: “Resilience!” May the community building continue!

Paradise Rises from the Ashes

by admin | Sep 10, 2019 | Uncategorized