End of Year Update
As we near the end of 2024, we find ourselves at yet another precipice of transformation. From an individual to a global scale, we are moving through a time of collective change unparalleled in history. There is uncertainty as we watch the systems that have defined how we live our lives for hundreds, if not thousands, of years crumble. We are experiencing a rupture in our collective life, and it is painful. Yet it is a necessary rupture. There are moments of fear, for sure, but we can see that our need for collective healing is so dire that we meet this moment with an open heart and clarity of mind.
Sometimes the rupture has to happen in order for us to dig deep enough into who we are collectively so we may learn to trust the sacred bond that ties us not only with one another, but with all of creation. We at Every Table see this moment as an invitation to listen to the holy within us–a spirit which is always present, encouraging us with a steady and gentle hand to be the versions of ourselves we truly came here to be. We are all part of the sacred belovedness of all that is. We all came here to embody one part of the collective incarnation of this abundant creation. This moment is inviting us to see our interconnectedness, and to take our healing seriously enough that we listen to that still, small voice beckoning from within, telling us we are not alone. Telling us we are holy.
Wherever you may be when you are reading this, we invite you to take a moment and look around. Give yourself the opportunity to just be. Be with the birds. Be with a friend or a pet or a lover. Be with your favorite tree. If you don’t have a favorite tree, find one. Be with yourself and the simplicity of your own hands. Remember that you are an infinite spirit having an incarnational experience–the very flesh of the divine, incarnate here on Earth. It may not seem like the most intuitive thing to sit with creation as a response to fascism. Yet, the only way to truly defeat a dehumanizing system is to claim our humanity so much that nothing can outshine it. Because when we are most in touch with the things which make us human, we are most in touch with that which connects us to the divine.
This has been a clarifying few months for us, and for Every Table. The chaos of this moment has shown us more than ever the need for the kind of healing we are offering the world. We have already seen the kind of powerful transformation that comes when we choose to sit down together and find stillness in the midst of the chaos and to create systems of accountability that encourage healing and wholeness for us all.
2024 has been a full year for us. Some highlights from the last year include:
The Bus!
In May we were awarded the Winn Foundation grant from Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond to create A Moment, our mobile meditation hub.
A new gathering space. In March, we left the chapel at Ginter Park Presbyterian and began meeting at Challenge Discovery Projects, a community center offering school-based and community programs focused on preventing and addressing issues related to behavioral health, bullying, substance use, and trauma.
New Program: Mindfulness for the Movement. Our meditations, offered both online and in person, are designed to offer grounding for those in need of a spiritual home.
Sound healing. In October, we hosted Shanna Latia, a local sound healer, for a 45-minute sound bath, where she used her singing bowls to take us to a transcendent space together in community.
Supported community events. Notably, we were on a panel with Here4theKids on “Abolition, Liberation, and Solidarity” and Joined Marijuana Justice and Equality Virginia for their Partner Lobby Day.
Through our own paths of discernment, it is clear that Every Table needs our full energy and needs both of us on staff full-time. We have created an ambitious plan for 2025 that involves creating a spiritual hub for the community and taking healing out to a world desperately in need.
A few of our goals for 2025 include:
Supporting and expanding our staff. Our vision is both expansive and feasible. In order to bring that vision into life we will need increased and consistent administrative support. Fully supporting our two full time staff and adding a third person to the staff would enable us to be out in the community in the ways we need to be while also ensuring the ongoing internal support for the organization.
Completing the renovation of our recently-purchased minibus to create A Moment, our mobile meditation hub. We’ve been working with Jason at The Kilted Craftsman, who’s taking the lead on the remodel. This dream was first envisioned a little over a year ago, and it’s exciting to watch it take form. A Moment is basically a chapel on wheels: a sacred space, set aside to offer people an opportunity to connect back with themselves and the world around them.
Finding a space for our healing hub, The Clearing. The community needs a spiritual home where people are safe to gather and heal without the weight of religious dogma or expectations. The Clearing will enable us to offer and expand our regular programs. Additionally, it will serve as a yoga studio, communal workspace, and offer various other trauma-informed, facilitated opportunities for healing and embodied reconciliation. The Clearing will be a space for spiritual nourishment and rest, offering daily meditation and other resources to navigate the complicated landscape of the world.
Mindfulness Programming for caregivers. In our years of work with healers and teachers, we have found that it is often those who offer the most who get the least support. With this in mind, we are building out programming that offers skills for cultivating mindfulness among those in helping professions, beginning with Mindfulness for Pastors and Pastoral Caregivers in the Spring of 2025. This program, offered both in person and virtually, will offer leaders the resources they need to cultivate their own wellness as they support others who are doing the same.
One thing that is abundantly clear is that we cannot do this without your support. We are building out an ambitious fundraising plan for 2025 and need your help to make it happen. We know through our years of work organizing within the community that transformation cannot happen in isolation, and your support makes it possible for us to do the healing work we are being called to do.
