From the Farmhouse Table: January 2021
Radical Gratitude
We did it with your generosity! Though 2020 was full of unprecedented setbacks and heartbreaks, you – our incredible community – have given us plenty of reason for hope as we move into the New Year. An abundance of end-of-year gifts from our stalwart major donors and radically generous community more than matched our gift from a Board member and exceeded our expectations. We truly can’t thank you enough!
Your magnanimity makes it possible for us to start building new shelving in the Farmhouse next month to make space for more books by our luminous alumnae now and in the future. We can also move forward confidently with our program calendar, already chock full of new virtual offerings. Assuming the risks of COVID-19 are substantively mitigated in the next few months, we can look forward to opening our doors again as well, giving priority to regional Writers-in-Residence, in-person Radical Craft Retreats and paybacks for our Teaching Artists.
“Though 2020 was full of unprecedented setbacks and heartbreaks, you – our incredible community – have given us plenty of reason for hope as we move into the New Year.”
Our Board of Directors certainly deserves a special thanks for not only helping keep us afloat during this tumultuous year, but ensuring we have a solid hull as we sail into 2021. Their tireless service, putting in far more volunteer hours than should ever be demanded of any board, was utterly invaluable. As we say goodbye to Sue McNab (Vice President), Abby Carter (Secretary), and Donna Hall, we are deeply appreciative for the expertise and support they generously provided over many years. A heartfelt thank you to Eunice Valentine for her guidance as Board President last year, and a warm welcome to our incoming Board Officers: Sarah Ladipo Manyika (President); Jessika Auerbach (Vice-president); Shauna Woods (Treasurer); and Darshana Shanbhag (Secretary). They, along with the rest of our stellar Board members, are more than up to the task of not only safeguarding Hedgebrook, but helping us embody our values and mission ever more boldly and creatively.
Finally, we want to give an enthusiastic shout out to our truly amazing alumnae. We were able to achieve what we did significantly because of their expertise, encouragement and largess. So many mobilized on our behalf in brilliant and creative ways over these past months and will continue to do so in the coming year (please see the descriptions below of some of the inspiring programs we’re offering in the coming months).
Yes, it will take a while to process what has transpired this past year. We have all been stretched to the breaking point at times, wondering if we had it in us to rally again and move forward. But we did. We honed our capacity for flexibility and agility, learned how to manifest radical hospitality in new ways, and made generosity and reciprocity our core response to the pervasive uncertainty shaking our global society. There will be more setbacks and unexpected twists and turns, but we are stronger than ever and remain as dedicated as ever to amplifying the voices of diverse women writers who embody the change we want to see in the world.
-Elise Miller, Interim Executive Director