Flourishing Together in 2022

​

​

Dear Flourishing Friends, 

 

​

It’s been an honor to share our vision with so many amazing local organizations and social entrepreneurs this past year! We offer this brief review as we prepare to step into a new and exciting year ahead!

 

In collaboration with youth organizations Mesa Farm and The CREW’s Green Valley Project, we co-hosted three screenings in May and October generously offered by Becket Films and the Ojai Valley Film Festival. Altogether, six documentary films told stories of inspiring and courageous individuals and groups offering hope to the world through their dedication. 

 

As a member of the Green Valley Project collaborative, we joined several local organizations and businesses to instigate the development of an Ojai Valley-wide “Pollinator Corridor” and to hasten removal of invasive plant species. It was a pleasure to get to know the organizational leaders helping to guide these far-reaching efforts through planning, awareness-building, communications, and hands-on work.  

 

One of our Fellows, Reverend Dr. Guy Williams, took part in mentoring several young leaders engaged in the Green Valley Project and was invited to serve as keynote speaker at The CREW’s fundraiser showcasing the positive environmental effects and leadership development of their expanding program. 

 

        On November 18, the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation hosted a fundraiser at the Center to help support our community’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration. Youth, mentored by adult volunteers, produce this special event every year, featuring local musicians, visual artists, poets, dancers, speakers, and more. This year, the team is inspired by the story of the 1964 Children’s March in Birmingham, Alabama. 

 

In the fall, our team was joined by We Are Open Circle, Nusa Maal, and the Green Economy Think Tank to host five intergenerational events about the necessity and power of collaboration. Together, over 60 participants identified local concerns, both environmental and social, and considered new ways to approach living together more generously and bountifully. 

 

We began a popular weekly program to support local youth organizational leaders with stress-reducing practices led by somatic teachers Tom Voss and Sultana Parvanta. We also launched a project with a few cultural creatives, Guy Williams, Amber Lennon, and Greta Lovina to assist in providing support systems for them to thrive. And finally, we  joined a network of visionary leaders of local cultural and spiritual centers that reflect various aspects of the unique history of the Valley, including Ojai Retreat Cultural Center, Meditation Mount, the, Krotona Institute, Meher Mount, and the Topa Institute (formerly The Ojai Foundation). 

 

Please mark your calendars for the Ojai Valley Martin Luther King Celebration on Monday, January 16th at Libbey Park. Thank you for supporting us this year! We appreciate all of you and wish you a wonderful holiday and peaceful winter season. 

 

With our heartfelt gratitude,

​

​

The Flourish Ojai Team

Diana, David, Suzie and Kevin

​

​