Lead with Love
In The Community:
This year, 2024, is likely to be one filled with change. Not only is it an election year when the stakes for our nation and the world could not be higher, we are now moving into the accelerated final stretch of construction work for our project to build The Good Table in El Sobrante. Living through such tumultuous times can sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed and depleted.
Fortunately, two of our Good Table mates, Nancy Lemon and Marcie Boyd have some musical inspiration to share with all of you. Recorded during The Good Table UCC's Sunday Gathering on February 18th, this song is a perfect one to hum to yourself when you're feeling stressed and was written by an amazing local musician, Melanie DeMore back in November of 2016. Enjoy and be encouraged!
by Janine Bedon, Communications Manager for The Good Table
In the Community
The Good Table is possible because of the many hands, minds, and hearts that have gone into the project. We want to highlight their contributions through our video series, Meet Your Tablemates. Let’s meet one of them today!
Soheila Bana is a Good Table volunteer and the founder of 94803 Emergency Preparedness Alliance. She's an incredible resource for our project, and we're happy to have her! Watch the video below to learn why she joined the Good table cause.
Special thanks to Kelly Knight for taking the video, Nicole Morin for editing, and Soheila Bana for chatting with us.
Do you want to become a Good Tablemate?
Join us on our next Work + Fun Day!
When: Saturday, March 26th from 12-3 PM
Where: 5166 Sobrante Ave, El Sobrante 94803
We host Work + Fun Days on the last Saturday of every month. Get a chance to tour our new 1.3 acre location, meet fellow Tablemates, and help get the site closer to Opening Day-ready!
Since a lot of construction is taking place at the site, we ask that you wear sturdy shoes, clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and a face mask for dust and covid protection. Plus, don’t forget to bring your favorite gardening gloves and tools if you want to get down and dirty with us!
Help us share the Good word by following us on Facebook and Instagram
P.S. Hello there, I’m one of your new #goodtablemates! My name is Janine and I’m helping the GTUCC with their blog, newsletter, and other communication needs. I recently graduated from UC Berkeley where I studied climate justice and global development. I joined the Good Table team because I share their passion for food justice, alternative economies, and fostering community spaces. Feel free to send me a message via the Good Table Facebook or Instagram.
by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table
Plum blossom season!
Spiritual Touchstone
Depending on where you live, it may be the first breath of spring. Where we are, in the East Bay, it’s been in the windy, sunny 70s the last week — nearly summer. (Thanks global warming. Okay not really, rain please?) In any case, it’s a good time of year to fertilize your garden. If you’d like a primer on how to fertilize, here you go: Garden Fertilizer Basics
To be honest, fertilizing intimidates me. I have this weird aversion to it. I wasn’t really sure why; it is, after all, good for the plants, good for the ecosystem. I know I should be fertilizing my own garden, but I can’t seem to drum up any enthusiasm for it, when really all it is is feeding your plants.
And then I realized: I am terrible at remembering to feed myself, so why should it be any different for my plants?
My life is really busy — I have two kids, work, friends, community. It feels like everyone needs something from me all the time. If the kids aren’t shouting, the cats are. And if everyone’s quiet, a friend is texting or my mom is calling. I love my community, but wow, does it consume my time and resources. As a consequence of that, self care can sometimes (often) go out the window.
The old adage of “Put your own mask on first” comes up a lot for me, but it feels trite when so many other peoples’ needs are greater than mine. My therapist admonished me this week though and reminded me that if I burn out, I’m actually going to be less available, less able to care for those who need it. So the question becomes: what next?
“How can we fertilize our own experience so that our future becomes sustainable?”
How do we take care of ourselves so that we can continue to sustainably show up for our communities?
For me, that looks like:
Saying no a lot more often. I am quick to raise my hand for things, without thinking about the true cost associated with it. I need to carefully tend my own resources with an eye to sustainability.
Rest. I often get frustrated when I want to just nap or read or watch something of no substance, but those activities replenish me.
Spend my time with folks that uplift me, rather than drain me. Everyone’s going through it and certainly, I want to be helpful to people I care about, but I can’t continue to have folks suck me dry with their unmanaged drama.
“What does fertilizing your future look like? How will you tend to your garden of self in 2022?”
Community News
Want to make a positive impact this holiday season? Have you done well with investments this year? Have inherited wealth? Have a fossil fuel stock you'd love to unload in a way it will make a positive difference? Consider donating to our project to bring a pay-as-you-can community cafe + organic plant nursery to El Sobrante!
We'll have community yoga, movie nights, live music, plus great coffee, food, and a marketplace devoted to local artisans. Donate below or get in touch with us at info@the-good-table.org. All donations are tax-deductible.
