Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Dear City Voices Supporters, Participants, Volunteers, and Spiritual Guides,
Thank you for a wonderful 2023! The most important task for us, who run City Voices, is to commit to our programming, show up consistently, support each other, and strive to improve ourselves as human beings while also improving the activities we execute for the community.
All year long, we've been running a bi-weekly Zoom support group for Peer Support Workers. In these meetings, we share our life experiences and work challenges in an atmosphere of mutual support. Check out the video below for a glimpse into our supportive and exploratory Saturday Spirituality group where we have discussions on spiritual topics all year round.
Our approach involves using humor and comforting words to create an environment where people feel safe and comfortable enough to become part of our small but growing community.
We had several monthly PIPs (Peers in Person gatherings) in Central Park last year. One particularly memorable event even included Qigong instruction from a Buddhist monk named Gagon. See the short video below for a glimpse into this enlightening event.
At Fountain House, we've been conducting in-person meditation and chanting groups every Thursday at 11:30 EDT. We had the pleasure of inviting Buddhist priest Cheryl and monk Soyong to help lead them. If you're interested in joining any of these sessions, do reply — all are free!
Through the Friendly Visitors project, we have also made regular visits to a residence for our peers, a senior center, and a senior-peer center on a monthly basis.
I want to extend my gratitude towards Rich Courage, who uplifted the spirits of the seniors with his wit and balloon creations. Kira Labinger deserves recognition for the quality time she spent at the senior center. Our appreciation goes out to Farah Fardoush for her active volunteerism for a number of different projects.
I want to express my gratitude to Jenny Chan for organizing the artists and art events. A big thanks to Max Guttman, Emil Guzman, and Tamara Lopez-Jimenez for their tireless volunteering at the residence. Heartfelt appreciation to the Friendship Squad volunteers: Regina Jackson, Marlene Williams, Gina Kim, Noor Azar, Amanda Jaquish, Regina Jackson, and Stania Cortright. As well as their Friends: Mary, Aneika, Jona, Ayesha, Daniel, &
Gabby.
I extend my warmest thanks to City Voices board members: Phil Yanos and Skip Skipper. Deep appreciation goes out to our Advisors: Mark Salzer, Ellen Stoller, Chris Bruni, and Carl Blumenthal. Thank you to Robert Roberts for moderating our Facebook group. Thank you Dennis Relojo-Howell for outstanding webmastery. Thanks to Frank Qu & Antonio Matta for video editing and content creation. Thanks to Rodney Fuller for helping us with a fundraising plan. Thanks to Kendahl Hawkins for helping to execute the plan. And finally, thanks to Ariyanna Norman for helping to plan future events.
You see, our volunteers also form a community in their own right. Sometimes we undertake work that benefits others as a type of self-care. It's essential that we all support one another: our families, chosen families, friends, loved ones, and communities. May we cultivate peace and harmony within ourselves, thereby uplifting the collective vibration of our eight billion friends who make up the superorganism known as humanity. May we learn to be kind and compassionate towards ourselves first, because only then can this naturally extend to our neighbors. Thank you for reading and journeying with the USS City Voices as we continue to explore new life, love, peace, and compassion.
City Voices Programming:
bit.ly/m/City-Voices
youtube.com/shorts/K6tmhb8uXu4
youtube.com/watch?v=iPef26IJS30
Dear City Voices Supporters, Participants, Volunteers, and Spiritual Guides,
Thank you for a wonderful 2023! The most important task for us, who run City Voices, is to commit to our programming, show up consistently, support each other, and strive to improve ourselves as human beings while also improving the activities we execute for the community.
All year long, we've been running a bi-weekly Zoom support group for Peer Support Workers. In these meetings, we share our life experiences and work challenges in an atmosphere of mutual support. Check out the video below for a glimpse into our supportive and exploratory Saturday Spirituality group where we have discussions on spiritual topics all year round.
Our approach involves using humor and comforting words to create an environment where people feel safe and comfortable enough to become part of our small but growing community.
We had several monthly PIPs (Peers in Person gatherings) in Central Park last year. One particularly memorable event even included Qigong instruction from a Buddhist monk named Gagon. See the short video below for a glimpse into this enlightening event.
At Fountain House, we've been conducting in-person meditation and chanting groups every Thursday at 11:30 EDT. We had the pleasure of inviting Buddhist priest Cheryl and monk Soyong to help lead them. If you're interested in joining any of these sessions, do reply — all are free!
Through the Friendly Visitors project, we have also made regular visits to a residence for our peers, a senior center, and a senior-peer center on a monthly basis.
I want to extend my gratitude towards Rich Courage, who uplifted the spirits of the seniors with his wit and balloon creations. Kira Labinger deserves recognition for the quality time she spent at the senior center. Our appreciation goes out to Farah Fardoush for her active volunteerism for a number of different projects.
I want to express my gratitude to Jenny Chan for organizing the artists and art events. A big thanks to Max Guttman, Emil Guzman, and Tamara Lopez-Jimenez for their tireless volunteering at the residence. Heartfelt appreciation to the Friendship Squad volunteers: Regina Jackson, Marlene Williams, Gina Kim, Noor Azar, Amanda Jaquish, Regina Jackson, and Stania Cortright. As well as their Friends: Mary, Aneika, Jona, Ayesha, Daniel, &
Gabby.
I extend my warmest thanks to City Voices board members: Phil Yanos and Skip Skipper. Deep appreciation goes out to our Advisors: Mark Salzer, Ellen Stoller, Chris Bruni, and Carl Blumenthal. Thank you to Robert Roberts for moderating our Facebook group. Thank you Dennis Relojo-Howell for outstanding webmastery. Thanks to Frank Qu & Antonio Matta for video editing and content creation. Thanks to Rodney Fuller for helping us with a fundraising plan. Thanks to Kendahl Hawkins for helping to execute the plan. And finally, thanks to Ariyanna Norman for helping to plan future events.
You see, our volunteers also form a community in their own right. Sometimes we undertake work that benefits others as a type of self-care. It's essential that we all support one another: our families, chosen families, friends, loved ones, and communities. May we cultivate peace and harmony within ourselves, thereby uplifting the collective vibration of our eight billion friends who make up the superorganism known as humanity. May we learn to be kind and compassionate towards ourselves first, because only then can this naturally extend to our neighbors. Thank you for reading and journeying with the USS City Voices as we continue to explore new life, love, peace, and compassion.
City Voices Programming:
bit.ly/m/City-Voices
youtube.com/shorts/K6tmhb8uXu4
youtube.com/watch?v=iPef26IJS30
