I take a deep breath and sidestep my fear and begin speaking from the place where beauty and bravery meet–within the chambers of a quivering heart.

– Terry Tempest Williams, Mesa Refuge Advisor and 1998 Alum

Dear Mesa Refuge Community,

It is very quiet at the Mesa Refuge right now. The current writers have safely gone home and we have cancelled the next session to protect the health and safety of our residents, staff and community.

Most people in the Bay Area have been ordered to “shelter in place” for the next few weeks. I am struck by the fact that this phrase is exactly what we invite residents to do while they are at the Mesa Refuge. We offer shelter from the demands of their busy lives, surrounded by quiet and natural beauty that is soothing to the soul.

This spring, we had accepted and scheduled a remarkable line-up of 18 residents, working on the most pressing issues of our day. Just like our first Mesa Refuge resident, Terry Tempest Williams, who lived and worked at the Mesa Refuge in 1998, we know that these residents will “speak from the place where beauty and bravery meet” wherever they are.

Our residents and alums are our strength. They strengthen our community and they strengthen our world. In today’s world, we need your support so that we can weather this storm and, on the other side, get back to providing shelter and refuge for the change-making voices that are part of the Mesa Refuge community.

We will be in touch with more news about our Shelter Fund campaign soon. Meanwhile, thank you for being part of our remarkable community.

Best,
Susan Page Tillett
Executive Director