Commonweal Programs - September 10th

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Summer path at Commonweal. Photo: Kyra Epstein

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Dear Commonweal Friends,

Summertime! For some, summer means a break from the daily routine, but here at Commonweal in Bolinas, summer means the Power of Hope youth camp for teenagers. Youth from across the bay area wait all year for this camp to take place on our site in July. This year, our group of youth and staff had five amazing days together at the camp, but the seven-day camp was cut short due to COVID.

The COVID pandemic has shifted from being a once-in-a-lifetime event to being part of our way of living. Learning how to live with COVID is an evolving skill. How do we keep gathering and encountering, while also staying safe, using on our understanding of science, health conditions, and our risk tolerance?

Retreat centers across the country are struggling with these questions. Many retreat centers closed altogether for almost two years due to COVID and are now reopening. To explore collaborative solutions for issues like these, and many others, The Fetzer Institute and Commonweal founded the Retreat Center Collaboration. More than 250 land-based organizations throughout the United States and Canada are part of the collaboration, including Commonweal.

Some of the collaborative’s retreat centers are engaging with the legacy of the lands they are sitting on. Others are taking bold steps to extend their reach to communities who have not previously been retreatants. Some are part of a Racial Healing Initiative, funded by the Kellogg Foundation, working with the leadership and staff of many organizations to bring racial healing to the retreat experience.

Commonweal's Retreat Center offers a physical grounding and an emotional heart for so many of our programs, including the Cancer Help Program and the Power of Hope. We are proud to be part of the Retreat Center Collaboration, helping to make the retreat experience a valuable and safe experience that is available to everyone.

With gratitude,

Oren Slozberg | Commonweal Executive Director

Power of Hope youth camp. Photo: POH 2022 staff

Giving Back to the Power of Hope

by Ife Nutara, Volunteer and Counselor, Power of Hope 2022

Power of Hope is an overnight camp held every summer at the Commonweal Retreat Center in Bolinas, California. Usually seven nights and eight days, Power of Hope’s weeklong experience is filled with art, theater, activism, music, song, and dance. It’s a place where teenagers can have the space to exist as their authentic self. A place where they can embrace their uniqueness and find ways to harness it in their everyday lives. It’s life changing to the campers and staff alike, and I was fortunate enough to experience both worlds.

I discovered Power of Hope camp back in 2015 during a pivotal time in my life. I was fourteen years old, and as most teenagers do, I was trying to figure out where I belonged in the world. After hours upon hours of online searching for summer camps, I finally came across Power of Hope. It was the first year Power of Hope was held in California and I was lucky to be one of the first campers to attend. Weeks passed, and finally the day of camp had arrived. I already felt homesick as I hugged my mother goodbye, sad that I wouldn’t be able to hug her again for a while.

I boarded the shuttle bus and watched from the windows as the scenery changed from city roads and tall buildings, to trees and the watery cliffs of State Route 1. My shaky legs and clammy hands filled with anxiety and anticipation until we reached our destination an hour and a half later. I stepped off the bus and gathered my things, questioning what the next week would bring. [read more]

CHE at 20: Amplifying Science, Partnering for Health

by Kristin S. Schafer, Director, Collaborative on Health and the Environment

What an interesting moment it’s been to step into leadership at Commonweal’s Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE). Our 20th anniversary year offers opportunities for celebration, reflection, and renewal—all of which are well underway.

Co-founder Steve Heilig offered this thought piece earlier this summer, highlighting the story of CHE’s origins and some key accomplishments.

As you’ll see, there are many! From launching the first academic program in the United States on reproductive health and the environment, to creating an award-winning ebook on environmental determinants of health, to building a Toxicant and Disease Database for researchers and the Because Health website for consumers, CHE has made many contributions to the environmental health community over the years.

Who Is This New CHE Director, Anyway?

Before diving into our plans to celebrate and build on these accomplishments, I want to share a few words about why I was drawn to this work and how I found myself at CHE.

I grew up in rural Northern California, first on a ranch, and then a small farm. This childhood taught me deep respect for the land and what it takes to work it, the cycles of nature, and the astonishing sweetness of lemon cucumbers direct from the vine. [read more]

Our Programs Are Hiring!

Commonweal: Full-Time Bookkeeper
Collaborative on Health and the Environment: Science Communications Manager and Science Communications Intern
Innovative Living and Learning Institute (ILALI): Program Manager for Regional Pilot Residency
Humane Prison Hospice Project: Outreach and Event Manager
CancerChoices Outreach Lead

Find out more about these positions on our website.