“We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.” – Gary Zukav, Solstice Joy
Indeed, every season is full of gifts and ripe for Good Work! This spring, we are delighted to welcome our newest cohort to the Good Work Fellowship community. Learn what they have been up to below, and visit our website to read their individual bios.
Blossoming daffodils, crocuses, and tulips kindle excitement for the short-sleeved days to come. Likewise, we’re eagerly anticipating the launch of the Greenhouse in coming months, and can’t wait to co-create this hub for resilience and regeneration with you.
Welcome Good Work Fellowship – Cohort 6
From Susan, our Learning Director:
The 6th cohort of the Good Work Fellowship is well underway! The Fellowship kicked off with a retreat at the Ashokan Center on a snowy Sunday, mid-March. A few short weeks later, on a beautiful early spring day, Fellows spent part of their first full day Place Gathering at the Woodstock Community Center playing outdoors! We are grateful for the valuable insight, experience, and unique perspective brought by each Fellow, and how they are showing up to build relationships with each other and engage in shared learning experiences. Supported by working agreements and workshops on empathy-building communication skills and diversity, equity and inclusion, Fellows dived into practicing collaboration skills and tools by completing the first of two Place Inquiries.
Deepening place-based understanding through information gathering and interviews, inquiries focused on topics like: community building through potlucks, compost education, forgotten histories, human trafficking, Native American reparations, opportunities for youth, polarized views around migration/identity/sanctuary/security, and play using regenerative materials. Fellows have initiated a second inquiry that will also involve finding and developing an offering with a community partner whose efforts they can support and amplify.
Continuing Co-op Conversations
In the fall, we had a series of conversations in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, and Rhinebeck about co-ops and shared leadership business/organizational models. After getting feedback from attendees of those conversations and other interested parties, we’re in the process of planning our next event on this topic. Please stay tuned! Meanwhile, Evelyn Wright, a member of the Co-op and Shared Leadership planning team, recently launched Commonwealth Hudson Valley, a new web publication where you can learn more about cooperatives and other collaborative community economics projects in the region.
Greenhouse Lending Library Survey
The Greenhouse renovation is humming along. Our brilliant contractor Miguel Alvarado and his hardworking team team at Equinox Construction are starting in on the finishing touches, refinishing the floors, tiling the bathrooms, and installing new windows. We can’t wait to share the space with you this summer, and we’ll be sharing more updates on the Greenhouse program soon. In the meantime, our attention has turned to what tools and resources we will have available as part of our Greenhouse lending library.The purpose of the library is to share knowledge and organizing tools with the community. To help us build the library, please complete this brief survey to let us know what you think you and others in our network most need to support your Good Work. Thank you!
GWI In The News
Opening Doors Workshop
Opening Doors is a research-based, three-day diversity workshop that addresses three critical elements necessary for creating change on diversity:dissatisfaction with the status quo, an inclusive and sustainable vision for what could be, and; a process for getting there.
Co-facilitators Eduardo Gonzalez, Jr. and Maryellen Whittington-Couse are GWI friends and have co-facilitated parts of the Opening Doors workshop for several Fellowship cohorts. This is an opportunity to experience the full program. Click here for more info.
Repair Cafe Hudson Valley
Do you have beloved, but broken items that might still have life in them, if only they could be fixed? If so, consider attending your nearest Repair Cafe, a free community event where volunteer Repair Coaches help repair appliances, electrical and mechanical items, jewelry, stuffed animals, and more! John Wackman, Coordinator for Repair Cafe Hudson Valley & Catskills, is in our current Good Work Fellowship cohort. Join this Good Work while sharing/learning new skills, reducing waste, and making friends. The next two cafes will be on April 6th in Rosendale and Red Hook. Check out the full schedule for details and other upcoming events.
Housing: Key to a Strong Local Economy
Meeting our region’s housing needs is a critical component to sustaining a strong local workforce and developing thriving towns and villages. Join Hudson River Housing and the North East Community Center on April 12th for an interactive workshop focused on the rural communities of Amenia, Pine Plains, and North East. This workshop will include roundtable discussions with local leaders, presentations from regional housing experts, working session addressing specific local issues, and the development of a regional housing team to carry the work forward. For more information, click here.
Online Courses on Creating Regenerative Systems
Thanks HV5 Fellow Susan Sie and HV6 Fellow Andrew Wilner for providing info about online learning opportunities! on creating regenerative systems!
Permaculture Women’s Guild is offering a a free yearlong permaculture class to help you grow your own food and design a home system that thrives with nature, wherever you are.
Regenerative Sourcing & Supply is a response to the natural products industry’s questions on how to work in a way that contributes to regeneration.
