Hey Garden(ers)!
Summer is flying by! Let's catch you up on what's been going on in Garden. This past Friday we had a community conversation about how we are planning to prepare for the 🐦 Avian Bird Flu pandemic. Missed out? No worries, catch up on the notes here. This group will meet monthly. More details to be announced.
As a reminder, when entering Garden, all Gardeners agree to abide by the Code of Conduct. We've recently updated our Code of Conduct which can be found on the visit page.
In other news, the surge is surging y'all. As of August 9th, 1 in every 33 people in the US are currently infected (and 1 in every 23 people in the West). Learn more about the US COVID data here.
Lastly, What vegetable personality are you? Gata got Garlic/Napa Cabbage, Al got Carrot and J Mase got Broccoli.
⏲️ Our events are typically listed in Pacific Standard Time (PT). Need help converting PT to your time zone? Check out this handy WorldTimeBuddy clock!
🌀It’s hurricane season and we’re wondering: are you prepared for natural disasters where you are? Join us for a Disaster Preparedness Workshop/Q&A led by Ariana on August 17th at 11:30 am PT. She’ll go over her disaster preparedness kit for hurricanes and facilitate a discussion amongst community members about things you might want to consider for your own kit depending on what risks you may face. Rain date for this event is August 30th @ 11:30 PT. RSVP on the visit page!
🧟♂️ Horror Head Movie Marathon: The Sequel is happening Sunday August 18th from 12pm-8pm PT! Suggest a movie, or watch the trailers of already suggested movies and vote on them here! RSVP on the visit page!
✍🏾 Want to learn tips on grant writing? Check out our Grants 101 session on August 24th from 1-3pm PT! RSVP here!
🎭 It's the return of Improv to Garden! Come play games, learn scene work and the fundamentals of Improv at Non-Competitive Improv For All Levels: A Day Long Workshop with StormMiguel from 12-4pm PT on Sunday September 1st! RSVP here!
Black August was founded as a form of prisoner protest in 1979 at San Quentin State Prison, when incarcerated folks, led by the Black Guerilla Family came together to honor the deaths of brothers Jonathan P. Jackson and George Jackson. Since then, it is a time to honor Black resistance and Freedom Fighters. Below are a set of events that we'll be hosting in Garden during August in commemoration of this time. RSVP for any of these events on Garden's visit page!
😷 Hang out, chill and play games with Black folks who take COVID precautions at the Bonfire in Garden! Every 3rd Saturday of the month from 5-8pm PT. The next Bonfire is Saturday, August 17th and will lead into the below session Krik! Krak with Skyriver!
🌿 Krik! Krak! Honors Bwa Kayiman: (for Black folks) Under the August full moon of 1791 the Revolution that changed the world started with a gathering in Bwa Kayiman in Ayiti. Let us gather to honor this special day and create the conditions for our own freedom through traditional and contemporary Haitian rhythms, movements, meditation and discussion. Let us connect. Let us recharge. Let us be free. :) August 17th from 6pm-8pm PT.
☀️ All That DEI & Still No Reparations?!?! (Open to All) is a workshop on Reparations Frameworks for those invested in moving beyond conversations into actionable steps towards repairing harm against Black communities in the United States and will take place August 31st from 1pm-4pm PT. It will cover:
- Defining Reparations
- A History of Reparations within the US
- Understanding Reparations Frameworks
- Current Reparations Models
- Identifying Roles People of all Racial Backgrounds Can Play in this Work
- Mapping Out Implementation
🫁 Want to increase your lung capacity? Come to Breathing in the Knowledge Nursery! Every weekday at 9am PT. RSVP here!
💃 Looking for a movement break in the middle of the day? Come to Stretch & Dance! Tuesdays at 2:30pm PT we will be stretching and picking songs to dance to. Folks are welcome to move within their comfort zone, or just handout to listen or watch.
🎥 Name That Movie (Night!) is Wednesday at 5:30pm PT! This week's movie is a horror film about the testing of a lifelike AI doll that goes horribly wrong. Think you know what it is? Come thru and find out! RSVP via the visit page.
🪷 Stretch it out as Caroline leads us in another weekly afternoon Yoga sesh this Friday at 2:15pm PT by streaming a yoga video from YouTube and following along. Videos will be between 25-45 minutes long between easy to moderate pace. Drop ins are always welcome! RSVP via the calendar on the visit page.
🫂 The next sessions of Chronic Illness and Long Covid Support Group are Thursdays August 15th & 29th from 5:30pm-7:30pm PT with Chanelle! Navigating everything that comes with chronic illness can be difficult - from managing symptoms to experiencing grief over missing your pre-illness life. This is a peer support space where we can share our feelings about living with any chronic/long-term illness, including long Covid, during an ongoing pandemic. RSVP via the calendar on the visit page.
🦾 Saturdays at 6pm PT, Caroline hosts a Self Defense Discussion Series which includes reading, discussion and (potential) movement on self-defense principles. In these politically challenging times, it is especially important for our collective liberation and self-care to learn self-defense. RSVP and reach out to Caroline via the visit page!
💻 Do you work from home and sometimes feel a little too isolated from others? Come Co-Work with us in Garden! We are a 24/7 drop in space for folks to join to co-work silently, listen to music, play a game or chat amongst each other in the chat box.
✊🏾Liberation Medicine School is excited to invite you to the second circle for the Decolonize Medicine Series 2024 titled Reflect, Connect, Heal: Black Trans Grief Workshop. Happening via zoom Sunday August 18th, at 10am PT/5pm GMT, this circle will support Black Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Fluid peoples with navigating grief and loss. We hope to create a communal space where the grief we carry is actually acknowledged instead of being swept under the rug. Limited seats available. Register here!
💼 The Guggenheim Fellowship application for US & Canadian based mid-career individuals is now open until September 17th and offers $50,000 to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.
🍿 For those based in Southern California, come watch the in person movie theatre screening of "I saw the TV glow" (a queer horror) Sunday August 18th at 1pm PT in Santa Ana, CA. Accessibility: High filtration mask required, pre-testing and trace testing required. 40 person capacity, several air purifiers will be available throughout the theatre, wheelchair accessible, captions provided, and carpool arrangements. Sliding scale donations accepted, no one turned away for lack of funds. Registration info here.
🪩 Bring your dancing shoes! Air Orgy: A COVID Safer Dance Party will take place in Los Angeles, CA on Friday September 27th at 4:30PM PT. Our very own Gata will be DJ-ing on the 1s and 2s, and facilitating a beginners merengue workshop! Accessibility: Outdoor location, wheelchair accessible, high filtration mask required, pre-testing and trace testing required. For RSVP form link, please email airorgyla@gmail.com.
🖥️ Are you looking for remote or hybrid work? We're hosting a job fair here in Garden in the fall! If you're interested in attending, please fill out this form.
🍉 Centering Palestine has a zoom every Tuesday at 5pm PT, along with other resources to show up for Palestine available here.
🌻 We are looking to open Garden up to community orgs who would like to share space with us here. If you are part of an org that may benefit from office/event space here, please email info@meetatgarden.com
🌱 This week, we are highlighting Language of the Ether! Language of the Ether offers sidereal astrology consultations, education, and regular insights from a Black, Queer, disabled, and covid-cautious young adult for Black, Queer, disabled, and covid-cautious young adults navigating the world as it is. Through Youtube, Instagram, Substack, and Pinterest, Language of the Ether aims to create accessible writing, videos, newsletters, guidebooks, etc. that provide thorough, valuable content that cover general sidereal astrology education, current events through an astrological lens, history through an astrological lens, personal astrological observations, and more! Find out more or book a reading via their Linktree!
Until next our avatars meet!
😺 Gata & 🪻J Mase
PS: Have a one-time-event or a recurring event and need a place to host? Email us at info@meetatgarden.com!
Garden is a free 24/7 space, but it does cost money for us to maintain it on Gather.Town. If you'd like to donate to this work, consider throwing some money in the pot here. To send donations directly through our 501c3 fiscal sponsor, email us!