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DO YOU FEEL IT?
As time goes by, an ever larger majority of humans are feeling a (reasonable) blend of exhaustion, scarcity, numbness, and despair inherent in life amidst crumbling systems of oppression.
Yet when we take a step back and ground ourselves in our heart space, our bodies believe in the abundance inherent in this Earth. Our spirits know the endless seeds of generosity ready to continually sprout within us all. We continue to have faith that there is enough - and that the answers always lie in coming together as a community and co-creating networks of care.
This is not blind optimism, but rather a practice rooted in love and connection.
Around this time last year, my friend Zivar and I hosted a clothing swap that was more profound than average (it even landed us in Priya Parker's newsletter). Zivar's penchant for holding space in sacred circles prompted her to invite everyone to bring - in addition to the standard pile of clothes you've been meaning to get rid of - one particularly special item to give away. We took time as a group of 20+ people to tell the tale of our one item and the meaning behind it. The practice made it easier to release something that was no longer serving us in a way that really honored how and why it did serve us previously.
This year, we evolved the event from a simple swap to a tag sale. We widened our circle and asked everyone for their best item (or a few) to create a curated collection. We encouraged quality contributions over quantity with our unofficial tagline: two items are better than ten.
Our vision was that when a community comes together, we realize the riches in our midst. Over the course of one week, we pulled together a collection to rival the best boutiques in the area. One Friday afternoon, three of us got together to sort, steam, and price the items before everyone arrived to shop the next day.
In the course of 3 hours we sold 100+ items, totaling $3,478 in sales that we donated directly to the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement - a local organization in support of immigrant families - whose work has become ever more critical in the wake of a recent uptick of ICE raids in our area.
The really remarkable thing about this gathering is that everyone felt fulfilled throughout the process. The people who contributed were equally ecstatic to clear their closets of items collecting dust as they were to contribute to a worthy cause, the people who shopped the sale were so grateful to find so many vintage / small label / designer / handmade items at a fraction of their usual cost, and the organization was so grateful to get critical funds that help their operating costs - especially at a time when fundraising has become harder due to rising costs for everyone, and ever more mutual aid needs.
These gatherings are one way to plant the seeds of an Earth we want to inhabit. They are where I see my mind wander and my energy gravitate toward, because they are hopeful, helpful, and full of beauty and joy.
For a long time I joked that I wanted to create an offshoot of GFJ that was a platonic version of Tinder (Good Food Friends, perhaps?), so that no matter where you were in the world, you could immediately connect with someone who cared about food culture . . . someone who might invite you over for a meal, give you recommendations for the best farmers market and food shops, or connect you with the most rich local iteration of slow food.
I think about all of the needs in the world, and the joy that comes from helping serve these needs, together: meals to make, resources to share, funds to raise, ways to impact our communities and each other. These are the types of energetic ripples that we envision when we think about bringing the Good Food Jobs community together. That's how an old idea and new experience are coming together, to finally offer this community a tool for connection that goes beyond our words and jobs listings.
You have until noon on Friday October 10th EDT to help us shape what this tool will look like. We really want to co-create this with you, knowing that you are such a big part of what makes Good Food Jobs so powerful.
As an added bonus for the last few days of the survey, we'll do a random draw of all those who complete the survey for one winner of a copy of this Tender-heart Press poster, showing off the words of Arundhati Roy:
Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. Many of us won't be here to greet her. But on a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing.
To building something meaningful together,
Tay + Dor
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