Liberation = Survival + Joy. In order to get free, to live free, to practice freedom, to enflesh collective liberation, we need to create conditions conducive to survival, and we need to cultivate and nurture joy. – Rev. Anna Blaedel
Much of the last year at the Rainbow Bridge Community Center has been a reminder that we must lean in on what we can accomplish with the resources we have available to us. As an organization and as individuals, we cannot be everything to everyone all the time. This becomes particularly true as we move into the next few years. We all have a role in building the future we want to see in the world. Each of us has some unique talent or skill, trained or not, some resource that we can apply towards strengthening our community, building safety nets, providing healing spaces, creating necessary moments of joy and creative expression, or being ready with a hot meal and a warm mug. It is all vital work.
We recognize and honor that there are organizations both locally and further afield that are ready and prepared to defend our LGBTQ+ community as well as other communities that will be targeted by the incoming administration. We will do what we can to support those organizations, boost their visibility, share resources they offer, and lend whatever help or resources we can towards their efforts. When we can, we will offer our space as a resource for folks to organize, offer trainings, healing support, and related activities.
We are ready for the work ahead. We stand prepared to support all of our neighbors and ourselves. We recognize in particular the threats being issued to our migrant worker communities, who are a key part of our nation’s food production, immigrants and refugees, all of whom make our communities stronger and more vibrant. We believe that every human deserves safety, dignity, and fair treatment.
We also recognize that the work will be ongoing and taxing on all levels. Our current resources allow us to offer:
- Space. To be in good company, to read, to make art, to play, to cry, to laugh, to throw dice, to learn, to write, to teach – all at no cost and with as few barriers as can be managed.
- We hope to offer more physical resource sharing in 2025. This might include seed and starter swaps, a tool library, an expansion of our existing maker space, and more.
- The Liberation Library. Borrow a book to lift your spirit, learn our history, learn how to build better communities, learn how to can or craft, and more.
- Clubs & Groups. We have over a dozen groups currently active ranging from support to play. We are actively looking for facilitators to host additional groups and are looking to add more online socials for folks for whom transporation is an issue. If you have an idea you want to see come to life, reach out to us at info@rbccvt.org.
- Skill Sharing. Within our small collective currently, we have a range of skills we are happy to share with others to enhance the resilience of our community ranging from crochet to canning to DIY home improvement hacks and more. We plan to offer more workshops, groups, and skill swaps in the year to come.
- Networking. Our platform is available for aligned community organizers and organizations to spread the word about events, services, and resources that can help bolster our community and those most impacted by the changing climate. Our digital community calendar, our window space on Main Street, our flyer board, and our social media platforms are available for sharing information.
- Love. We believe that love is a super power that gives us the passion needed to carry us through the darkest of times. Love led our flood recovery efforts. Love leads our desire to be good neighbors and to help ease suffering where we can. Love inspires laughter. Love also can bolster and contain our justified rage at cruelty and move us to push back against it. We have it in abundance and believe what we share returns back to us. Love is nourishment for the soul.
The above quote comes from a powerful short essay by Reverend Anna Blaedel. You can read it in full here: https://enfleshed.com/blogs/moments-for-common-nourishment/the-force-of-joy-in-the-work-of-liberation/#:~:text=Liberation%20%3D%20Survival%20%2B%20Joy.,to%20cultivate%20and%20nurture%20joy.
