Wrapping up 2018 - Updates, End of Year Giving & Looking forward...

Thank you all for supporting Recess Collective, being a part of our community, and sharing our new space with us.  

What a whirlwind of a year! In 2018:

• We closed Recess in Potrero Hill, after 10 and a half years of operation

• We established Recess Collective, a non-profit entity to continue offering play and parent support to local families

• We built out and opened a new space to house Recess Collective, at 2226 Taraval. It has all the same elements as “the old” Recess, but is in a more sustainable space that incorporates the values of a collective. Working together - our staff, our volunteers and our partners - are able to leverage connections to serve the community in a broader way.

• Our founder, Lisa’s family, welcomed a new baby boy!

Looking Forward! 2019’s goals:

• Provide space to play for our new community and continue to build the awesome web of families we get to work with.

• We will seek volunteers to assist with fundraising, grant writing and special events so that we can extend the offerings of Recess to any family who would like to utilize them.

• Expand the Collective. It’s incredible to think about the amount of talent right here in San Francisco and the surrounding bay area. We are fortunate to have such a wealth of resources for folks from all walks of life. The primary intention of Recess Collective is to harness that talent to serve all people. So in the new year, we will continue to work toward that mission. This includes:

  • Organizing special events & programing for families of for children with disabilities, and their siblings

  • Training in conjunction with Our Family Coalition for LGBTQ families

  • Continue partnering with Nurse-Family Partnership and build our scholarship fund to include at risk mothers & families who could not otherwise access a safe space for play,

  • Functioning as a space to bring together generations. By working with SF Village, we will develop programming for intergenerational play with local seniors.

  • Working with other organizations to deliver creative solutions for families to make life with young children more collaborative. There are real life solutions to easing the load we each carry and Recess is designed to create the back drop for those to come to life. Look forward to childcare co-ops, toy swaps, craft nights and recipe swaps. It’s exciting stuff!

  If you would like to support this mission and have the means to contribute toward it’s fulfillment, we’d love to invite you to get involved. There are options for end of year giving that include $5 / month contribution, or a one time donation of any amount.

Every dollar raised will ultimately go toward growing this incredible community hub, creating space for healthy child development, welcoming in families from all walks of life, and making the journey for parents and caregivers a joyful one.

$5 a month goes a long way to helping us build up our programming to reach more families.
$10 a month will allow us to provide a parent with weekly playgroup and play access.
$20 a month could be your way of giving a group of at risk mothers monthly playdates to connect with one another and have a safe space for play.
$50 +/mo gives us an opportunity to gift families full memberships and birthday parties.

Anyone who makes a donation of $25/mo or more will receive recognition on our founders wall with a 3x3 tile and an invitation to our Spring Festival! All donations are tax deductible.

Donate to Recess Collective
via our fiscal sponsor Birth2Work

• Make this a monthly donation

• Donate with PayPal

• or

• Donate with a Debit or Credit Card

• You can change or cancel a recurring donation anytime in your PayPal account settings.

The amount you enter will be paid to this organization each month from your PayPal account. Don’t have PayPal? Sign up easily while entering your payment information.

Sneak Peek of the New Space

We’re thrilled to have our doors open and to have so many awesome families as members of our community. The majority of our programming like story time, live music and family yoga will begin in the new year. We also have new parent groups starting on 1/28, in partnership with Parentline.

For now, book your playspace pass, birthday party or join as a member while end of year discounts are still available. If you haven’t been in yet, please swing by!

Check out some great photos of our brand new space. We’re still observing how children utilize the play area and making modifications to meet the needs of kids and parents alike. So you’ll continue to see it evolve!

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And if you are able to give at this time of year, please consider donating your time and money. Financial contributions are tax deductible!

Our Mission is to harness the power of community to promote healthy development through perinatal education, childhood play & community connection.

Recess Collective is an inclusive community centered space committed to supporting families from the time of pregnancy through the first four years by providing opportunities for perinatal education, play, creativity, support & connection.

By building a small, connected village, we can lighten the load.  We aim to educate families on birthing options and postpartum support so that they can step confidently into parenthood. Then, we strive to address the intangible stumbling blocks of raising kids in an urban environment.  Authentic community support, reliable in-a-pinch caregiving options, access to vetted resources and a safe, clean space for play are all crucial to supporting parents. In this way, we provide a structure and support system for parenthood that starts at the beginning when parents need it most.  

Ultimately our vision is that every community has a Recess Collective space to come together to share resources and live playful, healthy lives.

DECEMBER: Come Play!

Thank you all so much for your patience while we've been busy completely demo'ing our new location, designing the space to meet the needs of your family & putting the finishing touches on it to create a comfortable little oasis for you, your caregivers & your children.  

Now that we are open for business, we are thrilled to give you the scoop on next steps and invite you in to play!

• SOFT OPEN HOURS: NOW through 12/21.  

  • Members & those of you who have purchased playspace packs are invited to drop in & join us to play.  Playspace hours are M, T, Th, F 9:30-5:30 & Weekends 9:30-12:30. Stay tuned in the new year for additional early AM and late PM member only hours as we survey you all for preferred days/times.  

  • Not a member yet? Book a playspace pass to check out the space and join before 12/22 to get early bird deals on membership.

  • Interested in coming by for a tour, or to check out the space before booking a party? Feel free to come by during business hours and we can show you around!

• HOLIDAY BREAK:  12/22-1/2. We will close up for the holidays so our staff can be with their families and then we’ll re-open for all on 1/4 for members, playspace pass holders and limited afternoon drop in visits. 

Note that: 

• parties are available to be booked for the new year as well if you're interested in reserving a slot for a celebration! For a limited time, they are only $350.

• We have some really great workshops on the schedule for December and Beyond (including cpr, intro to sign language, infant sleep, responsive caregiving, introducing a sibling, potty training & more). 

• If you have friends / neighbors interested in checking out the space, please spread the word.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions! We CAN'T wait to see you all.  Best wishes for a warm and cozy December.

Lisa

Giving Tuesday

During this giving season, please consider a small donation — $5/mo, or making a larger commitment if you can. If money is tight (& we totally get that!!), just sharing this cause with 5 friends would make a huge difference!

Every dollar raised will ultimately go toward growing this incredible community hub, creating space for healthy child development, welcoming in families from all walks of life, and making the journey for parents and caregivers a joyful one.

As we get ready to launch a new community space for local families, we would love your support.

$5 a month goes a long way to helping us build up our programming to reach more families.
$10 a month will allow us to provide a parent with weekly playgroup and play access.
$20 a month could be your way of giving a group of at risk mothers monthly playdates to connect with one another and have a safe space for play.
$50 +/mo gives us an opportunity to gift families full memberships and birthday parties.

Anyone who makes a donation of $25/mo or more will receive recognition on our founders wall with a 3x3 tile and an invitation to our Spring Festival! All donations are tax deductible.

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At Recess Collective we focus locally, on parents, caregivers and young children. We work to build the infrastructure necessary to support those during a challenging albeit joyful journey. Support is provided by connecting families with one another, bringing in experts, working with local seniors to add multigenerational perspective and play, and bringing in creative folks to introduce music, art, and storytime to all of us.

Recess Collective is opening THIS WEEK and we are incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported Recess - urban recreation in the past decade. We can’t wait to thank those of you who will support us in the next decade & beyond.

We do need your support. We’ve created a gorgeous new space on Taraval St, and are currently accepting of donations (small or big), volunteers, and new families as we move into our new neighborhood!

“As much fun as my kids had, you saved me when I was at my lowest... you gave me a place to see other parents (aka adults), a place I knew my kids would have fun and be safe, and a community which helped pull me through PPD, even if they didn’t know it. I wish you all the best in your next endeavor and look forward to hearing all about it. Thank you for being part of my SF village!!!”

— Christina

A BIG thank you to our opening party sponsors who also recognize that community is vital in supporting new parents. We’re honored that they’re supporting us!

Donate to Recess Collective
via our fiscal sponsor Birth2Work

• Make this a monthly donation

• Donate with PayPal

• or

• Donate with a Debit or Credit Card

• You can change or cancel a recurring donation anytime in your PayPal account settings.

The amount you enter will be paid to this organization each month from your PayPal account. Don’t have PayPal? Sign up easily while entering your payment information.