Nineteen RFC beneficiaries ages 18 to 24, and four peer leaders, from 13 states plus Puerto Rico, participated in the 2011 Carry it Forward Gathering along with workshop leaders, RFC staff and Board members, and other volunteers. The four-day event, held on a college campus in Massachusetts, included art, dance, drumming, sports/adventure games, and writing workshops. Attendees also participated in a “Tell Your Story” session, where they could talk about how their families’ experiences have impacted their lives. In addition, a guided nature walk, a camp fire, and access to a pool and basketball court allowed participants to have fun connecting with each other. Here's a video with highlights from the Gathering - we hope you'll take a few minutes to see and hear for yourselves why this event is so powerful for the participants.
We’re thrilled with the success of the 2011 Gathering. We’re also grateful to our community for coming through with the funding to allow us to reinstate this program dedicated to combating the isolation that targeted activists and their families too often experience. (Very special thanks goes to The Fineshriber Family Foundation for its leadership grant, and to The Puffin Foundation Ltd., The Shana Alexander Charitable Foundation, and several individuals for their generous support.)
As we gear up for the spring granting cycle and hear so many stories of repression and suffering, it helps to remember that music lessons and therapy and summer camp and bringing people together to share their experiences does help.
Here are some comments made after the Gathering concluded:
"What [my son] texted his father stands out — ‘This is the most exciting, interesting weekend I have ever had.’ I really want to thank you for this experience. I think it opened him up…. What also happened as a result is [my son] realized he did not know as much as he could/should about his father. He asked questions and his father opened up and addressed them. It was really moving.” - Mother of a participant
”It was an absolute honor to meet all of you this past couple of days. You are all True Heroes and getting to know you all and the things you and your families have overcome was an absolute privilege. And I made some great friends in a short time.” - Participant’s Facebook message to other attendees
”There is a very powerful emotional benefit to meeting other people like you, other people with similar stories…There’s a kinship there. I think it’s really positive and really important that we all get to meet each other…The help that we get in isolation is significantly magnified.” - Participant
In addition to all these positive experiences, another Gathering participant talked at the event with Dan (an RFC Board member) about her efforts to move to CA and find a job to support herself and her younger sister. Dan put “Elena” in touch with his sister in CA, whose job involves community organizing. Dan’s sister recommended Elena apply for a job at the same organization, and she was hired! Now Elena and her sister have resettled in CA, and the younger sibling has just received her first RFC grant (see #43).