Commonweal

Building Resilience at the Commonweal Site by Arlene Allsman, Commonweal Chief Operating Officer As power outages and other emergencies have become more common, the need to make our site and buildings more resilient has become critical. We want Commonweal to be prepared to weather future storms and to be able to continue with operations even when the power is downand to be a resource for our staff and community.... Initially, after an experience during winter 2019, when power went out in the midst of a Cancer Help Program with very sensitive participants, it was clear that we needed to have robust backup at our Retreat Center. This year, a generous donor allowed us to install an automated back-up propane generator that is sized to keep the house warm and provide hot water for retreatants during power outages. We worked to green the houses as well, weatherproofing windows and making changes to insulation. To offset 95% of our power use across our site, this fall we installed a 92-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system funded by grants from the Bothin Foundation and the Solar Moonshot Program (funded by Left Coast Fund) as well as by an anonymous donation. We’re looking into a battery system so that we can be completely self-sufficient when the power is out. We also have two electric-vehicle charging stations at our site now thanks to an incentive from Marin Clean Energy. Read the entire article on our website: commonweal.org/news #resilience #commonweal #solarpower

Dear Commonweal Friends, It's the end of a long year. Like you, we've faced many challenges. With those challenges came opportunities to be of service in our program areas. With the help of your generous donations and support, our program directors and teams stepped up to the challenges, offering healing, support, and resources to hundreds of thousands of people during this unprecedented year of pandemic and climate-related emergencies.... Our year-end report shows some of Commonweal’s program accomplishments during 2020. Though there is much more to say that we didn't have space to include, our report highlights our Healing Circles, Juvenile Justice, Collaborative on Health and Environment, Gift of Compassion, Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies, and Natura Institute for Ecology and Medicine programs. We also include a short piece that outlines some new changes at the Commonweal site that allow us to be greener and more resilient. Thank you for being part of the Commonweal community, and for helping our program directors and staff do what they do best. Read the report: commonweal.org/news With gratitude, Oren Slozberg | Executive Director #commonweal

So much love, respect and congratulations to Samara Atkins ! We can't wait to see your work! Samara has been leading Comkonweal's Power of Hope teen summer program for over 5 years in addition to her work with youth at Destiny Arts Center and her multiple projects as a professional artist. She is a radiant human and an inspiring mentor. We support you Samara!

Gathering Threads of Community Meet Victoria Santos: Commonweal’s New Director of Special Initiatives Victoria Santos grew up in Cruz Verde, a rural inland village of 200 farming families in the Dominican Republic. A short journey north of Santo Domingo and the Caribbean Sea, Cruz Verde is home to Dominicans of African descent living in economic poverty. Victoria’s childhood was filled with celebrations and rituals, music and singing, community cooking, and eating in shared c...ourtyards. In a village where electricity was occasional, Victoria grew up immersed in the power of the natural world, with afternoon Caribbean rains pounding on tin roofs, or walking barefoot under the tropical sun to delight in gathering mangos. She developed a keen attentiveness to the energy of people and groups during moonlit evenings of community conversation and storytelling. Our village was materially poor, but culturally rich, she said. Our community rituals and celebrations are what kept us together. During my childhood, this time of year, before Christmas, we would slaughter a pig, make chicharrón (pork rind), yuca empanadas, sweet beans, and many other dishes. It was a whole day affair: in the courtyards together as a community, cooking and tending to the fire and playing palotraditional drumming with singing. The whole community was involved. Read the entire article on our website: commonweal.org/news #victoriasantos #commonweal #commonwealvoices