thinking about it all

It's so wonderful to see people appreciate what we're doing - getting out into the community, letting people know what we're doing, inviting them to participate with us and their friends and acquaintances- seeing smiles and new and more adventurous feelings in people who have tried us out and then joined us more often and finally become more active and communicating in ways they have not done so before ...

our next step is to really reach out not only to garden managers and the gardeners (via the managers) but to reach out to community organizations (churches, community centers, schools, senior housing, hospitals - ) - in the communities where we're having social events

it's a daunting task and we have to be patient (not easy for me) and trust that the continuing grass roots work will be more effective  than one big activity precisely  because people see, personalize and  empathize with the concepts that we are supporting

every single one of us will deal with these issues in our lifetimes -

so come on out people
come on out artists
help create and enjoy community
connect with us and each other
it's a great feeling
and we can all make it pay off

what do we do at the Community Living Campaign?

• stage garden parties that bring people together creating the potential for new relationships

• create tyze personal networks which facilitate connecting with people- old and new friends and family

• sow seeds of hope - sharing and demonstrating our hopes and values for our lives

• promote aging in communities of choice

• agree that we should all be having fun

• meet new people

• help each other realize our potential

• support each other in making contributions to our communities

• enable/empower

• give

• receive

• share

• teach

• learn

• create

Garden Parties Galore

Things are going very well - the positive response to participating in the Garden Party Circuit is very gratifying.

We'll be having a "Coffee in the Garden" party at On Lok on 30th Street on Saturday February 20 from 10-12 - theirs is a stunning garden with plenty of accessibility - in addition to morning coffee we'll have informational talks on gardens as requested and even, we hope, some entertainment.

Beyond that - on March 13 we're planning a party at the Park Street Garden in the Mission - a garden that is also fully accessible including the planting beds for those in wheelchairs who want to "grow"

In addition to being lots of fun the garden parties are important because as they spread throughout San Francisco more and more people learn about our vision at a grass roots, personal level and that vision is becoming a reality:  isolated individuals can be included in  and can make contributions to their communities - and they can live happy, healthy lives with services they need in communities of their choice.

So plant some seeds of hope with us and come to our parties to enjoy and support each other and our communities ...

Another Lovely Gathering at Arlington Community Garden

A lovely day, wonderful food, a chance to meet new folks and spend time just hangin' out together. Thanks, Judy and everyone else who helped out.

Michelle

well, after some consternation and working with bureaucracy we finally got the event for Michelle together

Story: we talked with Michelle to see what she would like to do and after mulling it over it was decided that we would organize a barbecue for last Saturday, Dec. 5.  We told Michelle to invite whoever she wanted, we scouted the available sites and decided on one, we got the menu together, and, unable to locate Michelle's "social worker" who, we were told, could get the approval we needed, we went to people we know at LHH - and, on Friday, Michelle distributed flyers to everyone on her ward.

We thought we were all set until we got a flurry of phone calls from the Doctor and activity therapist on Michelle's ward. "you're having a barbecue and we didn't know about it..."  "there's protocol..." "how are people getting there??"

Although it wasn't a barbecue (this time) we ended up having a great party (bingo, pulled pork, steak, hot links, potato salad, cole slaw, 2 cakes, etc) in a wonderful space on the 7th floor - we must have had at least 15 people plus those who dropped by accidentally (?) - and, now we know how to get it done the way we want - a little weary but very gratifying

Jose

met with Jose today and he and I went to Corneta on Mission St. where we are having a get-together for his friends on Wed. Dec. 16 - from 4-6 in the afternoon
Please join us
We'll host the food, you can host your drinks
It was fun talking with him as he had his Tamarind drink (good for the GI system) and I had my favorite -
melon
he and I also discussed tennis - point systems, the courts (clay,cement,grass,wood, etc) there's always something interesting coming from him

Jose continues to work on his justice campaign and is constantly finding new angles -

GARDEN AT UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO

Met with David Silver at USF on Thursday, Nov. 12 - a very interesting man with diversified  interests. He is an assistant professor of media studies and the director of the Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies at the University of San Francisco. David's teaching and research interests include digital media, contemporary cultures, and social movements. He teaches Digital Democracy, Digital Journalism, and Intro to Media Studies. 


In addition he is in charge of the students' garden at USF - they have been growing, donating and receiving donations for their organic foods for a long time now. 


I wanted to talk with David as he is part of a large program at USF in which students participate in communities - We talked about the "commonality" of gardens and discussed the network of community gardens in the city and the people who are not involved presently, but who could benefit from and enhance these  communities - along with the gardeners.


We discussed how I, as an artist, work with community as my medium and how this project - sowing seeds of hope throughout San Francisco - has become a "piece. " The Community Living Campaign has introduced the concept of a city sown with seeds of hope in the 150+ gardens that exist here.  Each garden becomes a "Seeds of Hope Garden/Community" and designated as such with a small sign stating so (only with the agreement of the gardeners).  The image of all of these "designated" gardens throughout the city has become a visual and mental concept to all who hear about it.  It has created a bond - they become a group with something in common, the vision spreads as they talk about it - the piece is realized and new communities are formed as existing ones grow larger.


We don't want ownership of any of the gardens - we want to see isolated seniors and people with disabilities included in the lives of their communities - sharing what they have to give and becoming  active participants in the communities in which they choose to live and age.


And we want to invite gardeners and isolated people to garden parties, staged and produced entirely by the Community Living Campaign, in as many neighborhoods as will have us - the vision grows.