starting fresh. come as you are.

Hello, hello!

As the new year gets underway, we're looking forward to the potential -- the potential for creating new spaces for babies to play, facilitating groups that truly support new parents, and sharing research-backed resources to lighten the load on your parenting journey.

The power of just showing up, without pretense, is tremendous. We invite you to show up, even when things are messy, disheveled, and ridiculous (…especially those days). Having someone to share that with - someone who will listen - can help in so many ways. Artist, Carissa Potter, of People Involved, so beautifully illustrates this.

For 2023, our goal is to continue to facilitate connection. In addition to offering groups, Recess is working to create places to connect in new neighborhoods. More on that here:

Since we started working on Recess, back in 2007, I’ve been driven by the concept of space and how it can encourage and facilitate organic connection. Once a space is thoughtfully created (& it doesn’t have to be fancy!), there is an anchor for families to come, breathe and connect. 15 years later, we are really good at identifying the right furnishings, playthings and even parent ed resources to outfit a place where a parent can show up, let their child explore and have a moment. Our goal for this year is to identify 5 places throughout the city to build out for families to gather. We have been fortunate to do this at Raley’s supermarket in Folsom, and Andytown Coffee/Ocean Plant in the outer richmond neighborhood in San Francisco.

The dream is to create places for under resourced communities to have a 'community living room’ of sorts. A safe refuge designed specifically for infants and their caregivers to safely relax, connect, and get resources to support their journey. Maybe this is a space in an apartment building, in the housing authority, a corner in a community center or something altogether different. If you’re interested in supporting that initiative, if you have contacts in the housing department, apartment buildings, or would like to volunteer to make it a reality, please reach out!

Build (& reinforce) your village. Community is crucial. To your wellbeing, and to your child’s. We invite expecting parents to share resources, gain tools and build connections before baby arrives. And, once that babe is on the outside, our new parent circles are an incredible space for sharing the experience with others in the same boat. Check out our new groups below! Lots going on in January.

Storm Safety. It looks like the bulk of the storms are behind us…for now. If you haven’t already, sign up for AlertSF for real-time emergency alerts. Simply text your zip code to 888-777. SF72.org, run by the Department of Emergency Management, is also an excellent resource for regular condition reports.

As continue to evolve the way Recess facilitates community and connection, we invite your feedback, input and involvement.

If you’re interested in joining our team of volunteers, please reach out! And if you would like to support our way forward, your donation is tax-deductible!

Thank you for following along on our journey, and thank you for letting us follow along on yours.

Stay safe and dry, and take good care,
xx
lisa