The Stone House Annual Report

Hey y'all,

check out our 2009 annual report to get a sense of all the amazing things that have happened here over the past year.

download the pdf by clicking here.

new videos- Albino Garcia and La Plazita

La Plazita from stone circles at The Stone House on Vimeo.

check out more videos in our resource toolbox!

Come to Our Second Anniversary!!!

DINNER with FRIENDS
Thursday Sept 24
6:30 pm

This special evening for Friends of The Stone House will include ceremony, a look back at the year and a time to offer words of encouragement, advice and wisdom for the year ahead. And of course, an amazingly scrumptious meal in true Stone House fashion.

Friends are those who have made a five-year pledge of financial support to The Stone House. They - YOU - are the bedrock of our ability to stay alive and well in weird economic times. Not yet a Friend and been meaning to become one? You can become one today, just click here.

A DAY of CONVERSATION and PRACTICE
Friday Sept 25
9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Join us for a day of conversation and practice as we explore three vital and interconnected topics. Each conversation will be initiated by dynamic individuals who will act as "starters." The day will include a light lunch.

1. the future of organizing:
Erin Byrd, Civic Engagement Coordinator, NC Blueprint
Mandy Carter, Organizer, Social, Racial and LesGayBiTrans Justice
Dani Martinez-Moore, NC Justice Center
John Parker, Executive Director, Good Work and stone circles Board member

2. the future of food
Santos Flores, Coordinator, DIG program, SEEDS Community Garden
Tessa Eliza Thraves, Community-based Food Systems Coordinator, Center for Environmental Farming Systems

3. the future of giving:
Darryl Lester, co-founder, Community Investment Network
Frank Phoenix, Board co-chair, Triangle Community Foundation
M. Zulayka Santiago, co-manager of North Carolina Peoples' Coalition and stone circles Board member


A NIGHT of CELEBRATION
Saturday Sept 26
starting at 6 pm
Join us for an evening of music, celebration and ceremony. We'll feature a range of entertainment; please bring a dish for a potluck supper.

To RSVP for any or all events, please email Tricia@stonecircles.org

Deep Change Gathering Slideshow from stone circles at The Stone House on Vimeo.

The Deep Change Gathering in June of '09 brought together social justice leaders from across the country who are bringing transformative practices into their work for change.

Sponsored by the Seasons Fund for Social Transformation and created by the Movement Strategy Center, stone circles, and the Rockwood Leadership Institute, the gathering gave practitioners an opportunity to learn, explore, and connect around new strategies for transforming ourselves and our world.

These images were taken by Willie Davis and the musical accompaniment is from Baby Cowboy- a local up-and-coming Asheville, NC based band.

Willie Davis-
http://www.williedavis.com/

Baby Cowboy-
http://www.myspace.com/babycowboymusic

Sasquash! from jesse maceo vega-frey on Vimeo.

Created by the youth from the 2009 Ground UP! program at The Stone House- "Sasquash: what happens when good squash goes bad" brings home the dangers of pesticide on innocent farmers, consumers and bystanders!

Slammin Jammin 'Matahs from jesse maceo vega-frey on Vimeo.

Another production from the Ground Up! youth program at The Stone House, "Slammin Jammin' 'Matahs" walks us through the pleasures of growing, cooking and eating your own food.

Ground Up!

~~~Fullness~~~~
by Tahz Walker

Within the long hot days,
And the cool
Dips into night

Sanctified and naïve brush strokes
And the remembrance of summer

In its wildness and wonder

In the saltiness of work with the earth
And laughter at the shared hands
And shared sweat

Fly' s that light our way as the sun sinks
Down

Squawks as the star rises

Meeting I meet you in a mid day slumber

Big sky opening big arms
For circles connecting

As we live with the summers past
And await their return





Last week at the Stone House we hosted 7 youth from the Durham Inner City Gardeners (DIG) for a weeklong intensive program about food, food systems, identity and expression called Ground Up! The Ground Up! program consisted of practical farm trainings, healthy cooking, workshops about mass media and food systems, music and photography journaling.

Ground Up! is a leadership and community building program whose intention is to not only provide practical farm skills for youth interested in food and agriculture but to also provide support to youth interested in building relationships and creating change within the food system.

During the week youth had opportunities to play, cook and create fellowship with each other around questions like: How far does food travel and where does it come from? Does media play a role in how we are shaped as consumers? And, how do celebration, ceremony and intention play a part in how we interact with the food we cook and eat?

We had an amazing time together and look forward to bringing the program back next summer!

Lunch with Henry Louis Gates

posted by Claudia Horwitz, July 21, 2009

I know Henry Louis Gates did not deserve the abuse and assumptions that greeted him on his doorstep. I know that Gates’ work will only be strengthened by this “regrettable” incident.” And I know Gates showed the Cambridge cop his ID during his arrest and harassment this week. I know because he showed it to me once, over 15 years ago, without my even asking.

I had arrived in Harvard Square one late morning, early for an interview with the Echoing Green Foundation. I’d flown up from North Carolina that day and I was hungry, so I do what hungry people used to do in Harvard Square – saddled up to the counter at the Tasty Diner. The Tasty defined hole-in-the-wall; it was the size of a postage stamp, with only one short counter that held less than 10 seats. And it was comfort food at its best, perfect for pre-interview jitters.

Shortly after I settled in on my seat, I was joined by a slight, distinguished-looking man, not exactly what some might expect at the Tasty if you didn’t know the Tasty. He looked familiar but I couldn’t place him. We started chatting and he was convinced that he knew what I was going to order. I thought it was a bold statement and happily bet him a dollar that he wouldn’t guess. I was on the honor system. I took another moment to peruse the menu above the stove and confirmed to my lunch companion that I’d made my decision.

“BLT,” he said with confidence. I almost got whiplash as I turned to face him. How did he know? I never order BLTs but today, in fact, that’s precisely what I’d decided to have. I told him as much. And sighed.

“I owe you a dollar,” I said.

“No,” he replied. “I want you to give that dollar to someone who really needs it.” I promised him I would.

We continued talking. Eyeing my suitcase, he asked me what I was doing in town and I told him about the interview, which led to more questions about my activism, my aspirations for the future, and finally my family and their support of my path. At that stage I wasn’t convinced that my parents really saw the value of what I was doing with my life. My new friend assured me they would come around and that I needed to keep nurturing the relationship.

Finally, it was my turn. “So, do you work over there at the big “H?” I asked, referring to Harvard University. He said that he did. I asked him if he was a professor and he said yes, again. I asked him what he taught and he told me. I got curious. I figured I should know this guy, so I asked him his name.

And he told me, “Henry Louis Gates.”

“You’re not Skip Gates,” I said, using his nickname. I was serious – he looked way too young for the image in my head – and he was quite amused. Rather than argue, he reached into his pants, pulled out his wallet and promptly showed me his Harvard ID. I just shook my head in shame while he threw his head back with laughter. I wanted to buy him lunch as an apology but he wouldn’t hear of it.

It's this moment - and a million more like it - that defines the measure of a man. But what is it that defines the soul of a nation? That's a whole other question.

Transformational Leadership Awards

Jesse and I were awarded one of six "Transformational Leadership Awards" by the Seasons Fund for Social Transformation. The Seasons Fund chose to honor six leadership teams who are defining this emerging field of social transformation and developing new models of leadership itself. Each team received $30,000.

We are excited to share this honor with 5 other groups, some of whom are long-time friends and collaborators:

*Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice

*Forest Ethics

*Generative Somatics

Social Justice Leadership

*Make the Road New York

*Rockwood Leadership Institute

It was real good to connect with our friends Akaya Windwood and Robert Gass from Rockwood

And Mike Edwards, long-time friend and supporter of stone circles from his previous post at the Ford Foundation and my mom (even longer-time friend...!)

first market

For the first time today, we harvested and sold produce from the garden. $130 worth of arugala, mustard green mix, kale, radishes, spring onions, and eggs.. Very exciting.


Tahz and new stone circles' staff, Cristina Chapman, wash lettuce...


...and we are open for bizness!


A happy customer.

March SOUL Sanctuary

The March SOUL Sanctuary group enjoyed a tremendous connection - lots of laughter and time for quiet, great food and a lot of good rest.

From the left:
Jasmine Tyler, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington DC; Denise Perry, Power U, Miami FL; Angela Agnew, DC Jail Advocacy Project Washington DC; Bekah Resnick, SEEDS, Durham NC; Alison Larmee, Cape Fear Community Acupuncture, Wilmington NC; and Mitzi Viola, Habitat for Humanity, Durham NC


Angie enjoys a quiet moment on Sunday morning.

nature awareness

Maeve Gavin from the Wilderness Awareness School joined us to lead a daylong workshop on Nature Awareness and Survival Skills. She began the day by making fire with no match. And then taught us all how to do it...with one match...

the faces of spring

Students from Alice Brooke White's UNITAS class at UNC-Chapel Hill came for an afternoon visit to The Stone House. They did some quiet reflection on values...


Took a solo walk on the land...


And tasted some early gifts from the garden...

welcoming Highlander!

Earlier in March we were excited to be able to welcome folks from the Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee, and the Threads program which brings together grassroots organizers from across the Southeast. It was a real treat for us because we've been so inspired by the work of Highlander, both historically and currently, and we continue to draw on their amazing example. The Threads folks were in town doing a site visit to the Beloved Community Center and other organizing efforts in Greensboro.

Here's the awesome Elandria Williams, from Highlander's Education Team, who gave us some great ideas about a pilot youth program we're starting to dream up for later this summer:














And the list of what sustains us, from a Sunday morning session on "Sustainability and Organizing" facilitated by Claudia Horwitz.

the old ways

Our weekly newspaper, The Independent, did a feature story on the hog killing that happened out here on the land in mid-December. Indy photographer Derek Anderson, took some powerful photos and the piece he wrote, "Meat the old-fashioned way: Bridging generations and communities with links in the food chain" is real beautiful too.

Independent Weekly: All Recent Stories - http://www.indyweek.com/

story in the Greensboro News & Record

Today's edition of the Greensboro News & Record featured a wonderful article about The Stone House.

Activists find renewal at rural retreat

Sunday, January 25

By Tina Firesheets
Staff Writer

Pavithra Kathanadhi of Mount Kisco, N.Y., participates in a group meditation.

MEBANE - The Stone House is neither made of stone, nor is it merely a house.

It is a gathering place. A sanctuary. A place for solitude when it's needed.

Visitors go for a walk. Read. Or just sit, eyes closed, in silence.

This 70-acre tract of land in Orange County is a refuge for those working to make their communities more just, peaceful, and cohesive. They work to combat and raise awareness about the environment or economic, racial or social injustices where they live.

Some of them work for nonprofit organizations that serve immigrants, the poor or homeless, the elderly or youth. They work long hours, for little pay. Some of them are volunteers who work just as tirelessly without pay.

Burnout comes with this work.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE...


And many thanks to reporter Tina Firesheets for her wonderful work!!!

MLK Day

We took some time out to make cards for our neighbors with one of our favorite quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr.





And delivered them up and down Nicks Road.

winter wonderland on Inauguration Day at The Stone House

Frances is excited...is it the hot chocolate..or the promise of a new era in American life...

winter days in Mebane