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I love gathering in ritual during the holidays. But this year I’m struggling with the abundance of food on my table against the backdrop of a hunger crisis in our country. That’s right. A growing number of Americans are going hungry and it’s about to get much worse. Here’s what you need to know.
26 million Americans do not have enough to eat
Hunger at worst in +20 years
1 in 6 families are hungry (1 in 4 children)
Thousands & thousands of cars wait at stadiums for food
+20 million unemployed
*4 months since federal UI expired*
This it not an invitation to feel bad, but an invitation to consider what gratitude calls us to do. Melody Beattie reminds us “gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
From the seat of gratitude, we are able to show up from a place of sufficiency and do what is needed to ensure everyone has what they need to survive. Please consider donating to your local food bank this holiday. [[link removed]]
May you be blessed with the gratitude and grace this holiday season.
Kerri (she/her)
Art by @zeaink
The bleak irony of American life is our boastful and hyperbolic national conception of liberty has left us as one of the most unfree peoples on the globe. America's narrow idea of freedom is literally killing us. [[link removed]] [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
A growing number of Americans are going hungry [[link removed]]. 26 million now say they don’t have enough to eat, as the pandemic worsens and the holidays near. [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
Abandon your thanksgiving script. This year, we have a chance to build a different kind of holiday. Priya Parker on improv Thanksgiving. [[link removed]] [[link removed]][click to tweet] [[link removed]]
Many on the left joined Biden to defeat Trump. If Biden wants to #BuildBackBetter, he’s gonna need to deliver on progressive issues. Here’s what you can expect. [[link removed]] [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
“This is the danger of siloed living — where moments sad, scary or sacrosanct are all lived out alone. There is no one stopping to ask, “Are you OK? The losses we share by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. [[link removed]] [click to tweet] [[link removed]]
Guess who’s coming to dinner this Thanksgiving? Politics! That’s right. It’s time to flex our muscles and have the hard conversations about what matters most. Here are some tips from our dear friend Susanna Barkataki [[link removed]] about how to talk about white supremacy at the dinner table:
Prepare yourself for whatever might arise. White people - take this opportunity to educate your white family members about systemic racism and how we got here. If you’re BIPOC, consider which conversations you do and do not want to participate in. Remember to take care of yourself.
Acknowledge your position of influence. No one will be more persuasive with your family, friends and inner circle than you. And with that comes responsibility.
Be prepared to intervene in the face of racism. Politely but firmly assert that even the most veiled racism will not be tolerated in your presence.
Challenge any misinformation presented. Many of us live in information (misinformation) bubbles that reinforce our biases.
Remember that strong relationships are built and strengthened on truthfulness and being able to have uncomfortable conversations.
Check out Susanna’s new book Embrace Yoga’s Roots. Now available! [[link removed]]
Art @danadrewdles
“We are all creating a new narratives and America’s new narrative MUST start with new narratives in our own homes. We can’t love & honor Native people AND at the same time, celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that erases the truth of their experience. It’s time to tell a new story, the whole story, & build a new world around us that has space for everyone”. Our friends at The Big We [[link removed]]are reimagining the tradition of thanksgiving and creating a new tradition that celebrates the possibilities in life for all people. Create your own tradition with the Family Fantasy worksheet [[link removed]] for you & your family!
Art by @zeaink
This conversation has been a long time coming for all of us who are navigating both wellness practice and social justice. Because it is not enough to just do the right thing in this moment, we have to go back to the roots to heal and repair what has been broken and violated. And we have with us today a true teacher in that work. Check out the latest CTZN Podcast featuring Susanna Barkataki! [[link removed]]
I want to take this moment to THANK YOU - all of you who have opened this email, listened to the podcast, joined us on weekly calls, organized around community care, attended an event, turned out the vote and more. We would not be who we are without you. CTZNWELL is community powered and crowd-sourced. That’s how we keep it real. Please consider joining us on Patreon [[link removed]] for as little as $2/month so that we can keep doing the work of creating content that matters for CTZNs who care.

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