“Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.”
–Terry Tempest Williams
The end of 2020 approaches and my time at Abundance NC is transitioning. Not ending, but changing as new energy and new leadership takes over. It feels like perfect timing as we start 2021 and our community is ripe for moving into a more just and equitable world.
I was called to found this non profit because I needed to learn abundance. True abundance. At first, I treated it like any other non profit, I ground it out…always having to do more, reach higher goals, create bigger events and focus on the bottom line.
In 2016, I was flattened with the death of my son, Zafer and I had no choice but to accept help. You all came to the aid of me and my family and you held up this non profit magically. I did nothing but float through the days, the weeks and the months.
As we picked up the pieces, we created Death Faire, I focused on the mental health of the staff and we started to work on social justice and then the great pandemic hit.
It allowed even more to come to the surface….I thought I understood racism. I thought I understood oppression. I thought I had a good handle on climate change. I thought I understood abundance.
It’s a journey and I don’t pretend to understand any of it fully.
I’m so grateful to have had this occupation for almost 15 years and to get to work with the most amazing staff, board and supporters. Most of the time it didn’t feel like work.
(Until it was PepperFest!)
I got a card from my best friend since second grade who knows me all too well.
The card read: “Goodbye she said, I’m off to join the circus. She occasionally gets a yearning for elaborate and peculiar adventures in her life.”
Abundance has been an elaborate and peculiar adventure. I have loved almost every minute of it.
It’s time to pass the baton/magic wand/torch. Abundance will bob and weave and I’m sure the priorities will shift but I know it is in a good place to carry on and needed more than ever with our polarized politics, our hurting community members, our dramatic weather. I see lots more art in the future.
I’ll be standing by in the wings to help this crew that has held me up for so long.
We have an anonymous matching grant of $10,000. When this community can match it in either big chunks or small, Abundance will have a $20,000 cushion to start 2021.
I know they will put it to good use. Abundance will be hiring a powerful staff member of color to get that perspective and wisdom as they traverse the future. For the first time, Abundance will be truly diverse.
So, please spread the word and please chip in if you can! Thank you if you already have! My mother was the first to donate! Facebook brought in $2000 in 2 days!!!
Some have asked my next steps. I will be working on the Master Plan of The Plant that is becoming a beautiful community hub especially during the pandemic. I will also be working on a research project….ME! I’m hoping to get a PhD in myself.
I am so grateful to my family, friends and so many of you for helping to create this sparkly, magical organization. Watch it fly in 2021!
Tami passes the baton December 31st!
Help us meet our $10,000 anonymous matching grant! We have $6,000 left to raise!
