What is Joy Menagerie?
Joy Menagerie is a support system for community members to have successful educational, work, and life experiences through goal setting, skill development, mutual support, material assistance, and knowing fun. Joy Menagerie provides a space and resources for individuals to be more ready to do their own community and individual work. It’s a non-judgmental space for good people to figure out how to be even better.
Why Joy?
Joy creates wellness. Joy is resistance. Joy is reinvigorating. Joy is pure. Joy allows us to be our best selves.
Why Menagerie?
Because we are a “diverse collection of people” coming together to strengthen one another as we go out and do good in the world.
Right, but what do you actually do?
We support community through: Events, Food Distribution, and Coaching and Connecting.
Below are various writings related to our doings.
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Black Joy and Fresh Produce
Black Joy. That’s something that my circle talks about a lot. Yesterday, I dropped a carload of fresh produce from Bellair CSA at our drop off home on Ridge St. The front yard of the rancher was filled with Black Elders (and a few youngers), visiting, talking produce, and catching up on the weeks highs…
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Study group reflections
Study group was lovely last night. I’ve been thinking about how we build sustaining and sustainable worlds and magic. I love that coming together under the grape arbor feels comfortable, familiar, and easy (in some ways). I love that new people feel comfortable coming into our space. And it’s OUR space. I’ve been organizing it…
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Thriving while surviving
Joy Menagerie purposely works towards liberation and healing. Over the past few years connecting with food has been the work we’ve about shared the most. While we’ve been feeding bellies, we’ve also been feeding and fueling mind, soul, and spirit. Sometimes the off-grid support we offer is within the “surviving” mode. Just this week, Dolly and our extended team have offered…