Hey Garden(ers)!

Have you ever wanted to host a birthday party for yourself or a friend here in Garden? Learn more by checking out this Garden Birthday Guide!

Did you hear that Improv is coming back to Garden?!? J Mase got an opportunity to interview our brilliant teacher StormMiguel about "improv safe words," his arts practice and the day long Improv session he's hosting on September 1st!

As the COVID surge gets worse, remember clean air is essential in staying safe and keeping COVID and other respiratory viruses away. Don't forget to replace your air filters as needed. Air purifiers can be expensive, check out Gata's video below on how to build a triangle Corsi-Rosenthal box.

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New Events

⏲️ Our events are typically listed in Pacific Standard Time (PST). Need help converting PST to your time zone? Check out this handy WorldTimeBuddy clock!

💃 Looking for a movement break in the middle of the day? Come to Stretch & Dance! Starting this Tuesday, August 6th at 2:30pm PST 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.

🐦 Have you prepared for the Avian Bird Flu? Join us for a community meeting on the Avian Bird Flu Friday, August 9th at 5:30pm PST. This is an informal discussion to learn from each other on what changes we have made to prepare, or what we plan to do to prepare for the impending next pandemic. RSVP!

🦾 Starting Saturday, August 10th at 6pm PST, Caroline will be hosting a Self Defense Discussion Series weekly which will include 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!

🧟‍♂️ Horror Head Movie Marathon: The Sequel is happening Sunday August 18th from 12pm-8pm PST! 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 PST! 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 PST on Sunday September 1st! RSVP here!

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Black August Activities

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 PST. 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 PST.

☀️ 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 PST. 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

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Ongoing events in Garden

🫁 Want to increase your lung capacity? Come to Breathing in the Knowledge Nursery! Every weekday at 9am PST. RSVP here!

🎥 Name That Movie (Night!) is Wednesday at 5:30pm PST! This week's movie is a 1988 Japanese animation where a family moves into a new home and encounters a gentle forest spirit. 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 PST 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 August sessions of Chronic Illness and Long Covid Support Group are Thursdays August 1st, 15 & 29th from 5:30pm-7:30pm PST 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.

💻 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.

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Opportunities

🌎 The Awesome Foundation is a global community of autonomous chapters that supports awesome projects through $1,000 micro-grants, usually given out monthly. Applications received the 1st-10th of each month are considered for funding.

🖥️ 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.

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Announcements & Actions

🍉 Centering Palestine has a zoom every Tuesday at 5pm PST, 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

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Vendor of the Week

🌱 This week, we are highlighting Nurse Sadia! Nurse Sadia is a consulting project by Sadia, a women's health nurse and public health professional. Nurse Sadia offers reproductive and sexual health virtual consulting, curriculum development crafting, workshop planning, public health messaging, and Asian American public speaking opportunities. Check out Nurse Sadia's website!

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!

Gata was recently interviewed on the Petty Astrology Podcast, tune in to learn about astrology, Gata's COVID advocacy work and more.

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!