The Whidbey Institute at Chinook will be hosting a series of conferences about thriving communities with the first event being held on February 2nd thru the 4th. The title will be “Cultivating Community in Challenging Times” and Good Cheer will be one of several South Whidbey non-profits to be featured at this national conference.
The Whidbey Institute is located on 70 secluded acres of forest on Whidbey Island. It is a place where people can connect with nature and each other; working together to create a better place to live and work.
From the organic vegetable garden that supplies the dining room to the winding paths through the forest, the Institute is a place of serene beauty. Imagine a community where people strive to help each other and where sustainable practices feed our neighbors in need. You need not imagine for it exists on South Whidbey Island.
Here is a video that describes the vision that The Whidbey Institute at Chinook holds so close to its heart.
The Thriving Communities Conference will be focused on food. “Food is a way into our souls,” says Executive Director Jerry Millhon. “We’re taking on food first, because it’s important to get the gut taken care of with dignity.”
The U.S. Labor Department just reported that the current average duration of unemployment is at 40 weeks, the longest in more than 60 years. And while the state of Washington had a drop in the unemployment rate to 8.7 percent in November 2011, it is still almost double the 4.6 percent in January of 2007 when the recession began. This is almost three years from the end of the “Great Recession.” With that in mind, the health of any community is how it cares for the hungry.
Good Cheer Food Bank, Friends of Friends, Whidbey Island Nourishes, and Hearts and Hammers are thriving charities that grow and distribute food, repair housing, help pay medical bills, and feed hungry school kids with nutritious sack lunches.
“We can’t rely on the Federal government; we need to move locally to get help for the hungry,” says Millhon.
The Whidbey Institute is planning five years of Thriving Community Conferences to explore the critical issues facing small communities, using Whidbey Island from Coupeville to Clinton as a living laboratory for change and inspiration.
At the inaugural February gathering, participants will define the attributes of a healthy local food system, create an optimal food blueprint, and identify common challenges and strategies for overcoming them.
Good Cheer Executive Director Kathy McLaughlin says that “it’s an honor to be working together on hosting a conference that will provide our community the opportunity to share, learn and grow.”
Our world is moving into increasingly challenging times, but also times of great opportunity to adapt. How do we meet the growing critical needs of individuals, families, and communities?
Join us for the inaugural Thriving Communities Conference, the first in a series of annual conferences. In sharing our experiences, all who participate can move forward intentionally into a hopeful and life-affirming common future.
A brief video about Good Cheer that was produced by Whidbey Institute for the conference with funding from a grant from the Murdoch Charitable Trust.
Good Cheer!
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