Events
 

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2006 Events

March 19, 2006 --Deporting the American Dream 2
This event was sponsored by Sonja Ricket to raise awareness about anti-immigrant sentiment and legislation arising since Sept 11, 2001. It happened on Sunday March 19, 2006 at Red Ink Studios in San Francisco.The two recipients for funds raised at this event were Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition, which works to build a unified voice for and provide services for immigrants, and Trauma Vidya, which provides effective relief to those suffering from symptoms of traumatic stress in the aftermath of natural catastrophes such as the 2004 tsunami. Though the turnout was disappointing, the presentations, music, dancing, food, and (of course) massage were all wonderful.
                                 
April 22, 2006 – Picnic Time
This was a private party held in a beautiful Marin home by a supporter of In Touch Community Fundraising who preferred to be thanked anonymously. One recipient of funds raised was the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, which works to preserve farmland in Marin. The other recipient was the People’s Grocery, which works to increase access to healthy food and guild greater self reliance in West Oakland. The guests were generous and appreciative, and the party itself was lovely.

April 30, 2006 – Gwen Avery Benefit
This event was a concert, produced by Blak&brown Productions and held at the Brava Theater, which specializes in the creation of new work, with a focus on producing premieres by women of color and lesbian playwrights. It was put on to support Gwen Avery. She has supported many different causes with her music; when she suffered personal loss recently, her communities rallied to support her. I would have been happy to bring In Touch Community Fundraising to support anyone who has been such a force, but her music had me dancing and singing and laughing with one song. People were happy to receive massage in the lobby before the concert and during intermission. The two recipients were Gwen herself and CUAV, Community United Against Violence, a multicultural organization working to end violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) communities.

May 6, 2006 5th Annual Pagan Festival and Parade
Sponsored by the Pagan Alliance, this entertaining, all-day outdoor event was peopled by costumed, fun-loving folk focused on earth-based spirituality. As sponsor, the Pagan Alliance chose Heifer International to receive half the funds. Their mission is to “work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.” They have a number of projects, the most well known of which is to donate livestock to poor rural families, and teaching them how to care for their animals in a sustainable way. The Buddhist Peace Fellowship Prison Program was chosen by In Touch Community Fundraising. This program works with prisoners, their families, and all other persons associated with the prison system to address the systemic violence within the prison-industrial complex.

July 22, 2006– Born to Drum – First Annual Drum Camp for Women
In Touch attended one day of this weekend event. Born to Drum provides a positive environment for women to learn, to teach, and to perform drumming arts from diverse cultures. I’d had no idea how much women misogyny women have endured in order to drum, or how incredibly talented the line-up of teachers at the event would be. This event was a treat. Funds were donated to the Born to Drum Scholarship Fund, KPFA and Listen for Life, a global organization created for the preservation and advancement of musical culture by serving the needs of music, musicians and music listeners in every region of the world. In connection with this event, one more organization deserves mention. The organizers of Born to Drum are launching Rhythmix Cultural Works, a new community center for visual and performing arts. It is scheduled to open in 2007 in Alameda.

October 14, 2006 Building Bridges
This was the second year In Touch participated in this combination trade show, networking event, and workshop venue for conflict resolution training and other trainings valuable to people in business for themselves. Alicia Brite, the organizer, worked hard to make the event include tradespeople, people of color, disabled folks, youth, and other entrepreneurs who might usually be underrepresented. Receiving half the funds raised at this event was Girls Inc. of Alameda County, a non profit organization with a mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold. The other half of the funds went to the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, which provides community, education, and a center for activism for cancer survivors and their supporters. Building Bridges took place at Uptown Body and Fender in Downtown Oakland. Giovanna Tanzillo, a model for community-oriented business owners, often transforms her garage into an events venue.

December 30, 2006 Singing For Your Life
This was the second year In Touch Community Fundraising participated in this brilliantly inclusive community event. Improvised singing in multipart harmony was the cornerstone, directed in tag team from noon to midnight. Leaders included SoVoSo, Linda Tillery, and Rhiannon.You didn’t need to read music or know words or melody to participate. The music was beautiful, the participatary altars were works of art, and the food, provided by Food Not Bombs, was delicious, healthy and filling. Arts First Oakland, which produces Singing For Your Life annually, received half the funds. This organization unites local performing artists and organizations, arts teachers, youth artists, and the families and community members who support the arts to form a nexus of arts activity. The second half of the funds were donated to Breath and Shadow, a monthly online journal of disability culture and literature written and edited entirely by people with disabilities.

2005 Events

Click here to read about the recipients.

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Copyright Beth Baron. tel: 510-551-9539. beth[at]bethbaron.com

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