Local Community Partnerships

Our weekly Community Calls provide peer support, discussion forums and guest workshops for retreat center leaders and allied organizations. Just click the picture above to watch the video of this call.

On Tuesday, May 5, Kirstin led a discussion on opportunities for community partnerships on the local level, drawn from experience within our network. During the COVID-19 pandemic, retreat centers are finding some new ways to serve. Michael’s work at Five Oaks Centre is particularly inspiring, as they now host groups of migrant agricultural workers for fully isolated 14-day quarantines, providing food and shelter in a secure and peaceful setting. Read more in Five Oaks’ spring newsletter. Other groups have pursued different approaches and partnerships, with varying success.

Notes and audio recording from this conversation are also available at the link below.

Facilitators:

Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma, GilChrist Retreat Center, RCC Steering Committee

Michael Shewburg, Five Oaks Centre, RCC Steering Committee