Every year I donate a portion of my holiday season art show proceeds to a local non-profit organization that has inspired me in some way over the previous twelve months. This year, the choice was obvious. Before I tell you the who and why of my choice, I want to make sure you have the event on your calendar, since it’s only a Zoom click away.
My 2022 Damselwings Art Show and Fundraiser is on Sunday, December 4, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm ET on Zoom. This annual event has become a fun way for our community across the country to gather, hear how my photography and mindfulness journeys have blended into new creative output over the past year, and place orders for wall art (including clearance items), notecards, and other products. There’s even a free giveaway for those who are in the room that day and special discounts for all who sign up! Register here for the free event.
Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC)
This year my donation recipient is the Arlington, Virginia, chapter of The Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC). Originally founded to help resettle Ethiopian refugees in the 1980s, ECDC was the first community-based organization authorized by the Department of State to resettle refugees from across the globe in the United States.
Why ECDC?
On February 5, 2022, I had the great privilege (along with my little team of family and friends) of meeting the two Afghan families we would be helping to resettle as part of ECDC’s pilot co-sponsorship program. The pilot was designed to support the work of ECDC’s overstretched caseworkers, struggling to meet the needs of the flood of Afghan refugees arriving in our area after the chaotic exit of US forces and take-over of the Taliban.
We had applied as a team back in October 2021 and met weekly to prepare. ECDC provided training and weekly access for us to ask questions, though we could only go so far in our preparation without knowing the configuration of our family placement.
Having waited so long for news about what family we would be helping to resettle and mentor over our 9-month commitment, we were ready to take on what ECDC said was a particularly challenging assignment – two combined families headed by brothers who had worked as security guards protecting Americans at the US embassy complex at the Kabul airport. They had ten kids between them ranging in age from 2 to 16. And both wives were pregnant.
Our first American citizen was born five days after we met them. The second was born on May 25, by which point we had become so close that I was in the delivery room.
Suffice to say, it’s been one of the most intense and fulfilling years of my life in terms of leaning in to service, empathy, and human connection. My mindfulness skills have supported me in staying grounded, sharing calming energy, and connecting with our common humanity and shared values despite the language barrier and different customs.
Where the Money Will Go
My donation will be going to ECDC’s Arlington, VA, chapter. Having now experienced first-hand the heavy load that caseworkers carry – a job that even my team of 10 struggled to keep up with – and the many layers of administrative support, expertise, and special services that the mission-driven staff at ECDC provide with only limited resources, I know the art show donation will contribute to life-changing services for the many refugee families in our area.
ECDC’s work aligns closely with my own mission: to harness the power of human connection; meet one another from a place of empathy, acceptance, kindness, and love; and give people tools to reach their personal and collective potential.
I hope to see you at the art show, where I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about our team’s work as ECDC co-sponsors! If you haven’t done so already, REGISTER HERE.
