2023 Annual Appeal
Dearest Spontaneous Friends and Members,
Let us begin with a resounding THANK YOU for all YOU have contributed in this past year. We have collectively drawn on our 50 years of history, festivals, activism, vision, youth organizing, community gathering, and cultural impact work, to begin the shift needed to make Spontaneous into the Village House that we all long for.
You are the backbone that makes Spontaneous Celebrations come to life, both as a community arts building, and the organization hosts the Lantern Parade and the Wake Up the Earth Festival. This community is such a huge institutional piece of what makes Jamaica Plain more than just an address to live in, but a community to be a part of.
Help us continue our work!
A year end contribution of $100 - $500 can help us meet our TernSolar Matching Grant deadline. We hope to be on 100% renewable energy by spring!
We also want to encourage all of you to become a monthly donor. If we have 200 members donate $50 a month, we would have $10,000 a month committed toward staff, programming and building expenses. Your monthly donation can help us thrive!
Some of the things a monthly contribution will do
The expansion of our staff is critically important at this time in order to move our organization forward. Kalamu Kieta, our new board chair, has been hard at work modeling our new structure in order to ensure that these roles are filled in the healthiest and most sustainable way for the organization, and we are nearing a clear vision on how to proceed. Over the course of 2024, we anticipate having a new director, a building or rental manager, as well as a community organizer. In JP and Roxbury, we would like to establish a stronger connection with more organizations. What can we do to be a strong member of the team of organizers working on climate resilience, affordable housing, youth programming, and cultural diversity? Our team needs to build these deeper structures if we want to be an organization with impact and presence.
Coming out of the hardship of the pandemic, reopening our building, being without a director, and bringing in many new board members was a lot to take on over the past year. And we accomplished so much!
We had a wonderful winter full of community potlucks, game nights and gatherings. We brought back the Volunteers for Peace program and had some wonderful international volunteers, including our long time dear friends Roberto Chao and Roxana Bentes.
Another thing that we are hopeful we can make a more permanent part of our community vision is an international artists program, year round!
2023 Programming Report
Our 46th Annual Wake Up the Earth Festival had its largest attendance to date. Our new festival director Bonnie Rovics, helped build a relationship with local youth program Zumix (who brought back the youth stage), we bought our very own stage risers and raised many thousands of dollars to help support the festival and the organization. Connie Barbour completely sold-out of festival T-Shirts and our wonderful new vendor coordinator Caitlin Kenney filled up the fields with fantastic local artisans. Our Pledge to Climate Resilience Art installation (designed by local mural artist, parade coordinator and activist Jovielle Gers) was visited by Mayor Wu, who pledged her support in the fight for climate justice. This was the first time we had a Boston Mayor come to Wake Up the Earth Festival!
Over the summer we hosted SolFest and hundreds of people showed up to feast on barbecue, listen to great music and enjoy community. We had such a wonderful time hosting that we are hoping to hold a number of outdoor concert and barbecue nights this year. SolFest raised almost $10K towards our solar project!
The 40th annual Lantern Parade was delayed by a week due to bad weather and we took advantage of the extra time by spending the weekend with dozens of lantern making and crafting volunteers. The Festival itself was a huge success, Meridian school kids helped sell lanterns this year, we honored the Native American Indian Center of Boston, once again with Mayor Wu. Thousands of neighbors showed up to light their way around the pond, join in the junk percussion, hear Native drumming, and be in community.
Dias De Los Muertos followed closely behind the Lantern Parade. With the full breadth of cultural organizing Rosalba Solis and La Piñata brings to Spontaneous, the ceremony held such profound depth. Joined by so many beloved artists, indigenous elders, native Latina dancers, this was a time to grieve and to celebrate. The food was fantastic, the hot cocoa delicious, the altars brought tears to our eyes. I hope you were there.
We had a Friendsgiving the day after Thanksgiving that was attended by dozens of people and Aslin and Bonnie held a clothing drive that filled up 2 car loads of donated clothing!
We will be seeing off the year on December 29th with our first hosting of the Winter Solstice Feast. A recognition of the winter solstice, a gathering of community in the dark days (when we need it most) and a celebration of the lengthening of daylight to come.
Upcoming Ways to Get Involved
This winter we have a full slate planned of community events. We long to see our building be a welcoming space for all. Visit our website for the latest.
Game Night: all ages, 1/5, 2/2, 3/1 and 4/5: 6-10pm (some games may go to 11). We do need game hosts, email wutefestival@gmail.com if you would like to host a game.
Movie Night: 1/19, 3/15, 2/9 and 4/19
Community Potluck: 1/19, 1/26, 2/9, 3/8 3/22, 4/12, 2/26, 5/10
Wake Up the Earth Festival Organizing meetings start up January 25th and will be held the 4th Thursday of Jan, Feb, March and April from 6:30-9pm. All Are Welcome!
There are several ways to donate and help support our work!
Mail us a check: Made out to Spontaneous Celebrations, Mail to 45 Danforth Street JP, MA 02130
Donate online at Spontaneouscelebrations.org/donations with the option to set up a monthly, quarterly or annual recurring gift
Use your company’s Charitable Giving Program to set up automatic donations that may include a company match
Donate a few shares of stock (note: please email stock donation details to admin@spontaneouscelebrations.org)
Join the three-year pledge - Committing a level of support over Three years helps us build and develop programming with a known budget and known support.
Thank you so much for your financial support and all the other ways that you support and sustain the work that we collectively do.
Sincerely,
Spontaneous Celebrations
Spontaneous Celebrations Community Art Center
De’En Tarkpor and Gerry Lake (staff)
The Programming Committee members
The Spontaneous Celebrations Board
