Monthly Archives: August 2013

Portland, Maine: the joy of discoveries before saying farewell

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It is the end of another summer. It is time for you to leave the island too. Good-by to clams and mussels and barnacles, to crows and swallows, gulls and owls, to sea-urchins, seals, and porpoises. It is time to reset the clock from the rise and fall of the tide….
– Robert McCloskey, American writer and illustrator of children’s books, from A Time of Wonder

Storefront pooch on Exchange Street.

Storefront pooch on Exchange Street.

Our department headed over to downtown Portland to have one last meal following the close of our summer summit late Tuesday afternoon. We carpooled and after my good friend and colleague – frolleague? – Bernie Monegain dropped off our other frolleagues across from the Flatbread Company (72 Commercial Street, Number 5, Portland, 207.772.8777), where we were going to dine, I remained with Bernie to find the elusive open parking spot. As fate would have it, we found a generous strip off of Milk Street, with Exchange Street and its alluring shops one street over.

Waterlily's colorful storefront on Milk Street.

Waterlily’s colorful storefront on Milk Street.

I admit that while I wanted to keep Bernie company and continue to catch up with her (we only see one another once or twice a year), I had ulterior motives for wishing for a parking spot in the epicenter of Portland’s downtown shopping experience, where brick streets and sidewalks lead you to unique shops. Bernie indulged my request to “just check out one store,” but as we turned the corner onto Milk Street, I spied a quaint shop to my left. I stopped, looked back, and internally debated before requesting Bernie to allow me to “just take a quick run-through.” Bernie was hungry and we were both aware that our colleagues and frolleagues were no doubt ordering their flatbread pizzas after a happy hour of downing their cold beers and sipping their full-bodied wines and sangrias. She must have appreciated the curiosity in my eyes, the plea in my voice. We turned around and stepped inside what seemed like another world – certainly another culture – which was at once energetically colorful and serene.

Stepping inside a new world of color, textiles, and other natural materials.

Stepping inside a new world of color, textiles, and other natural materials.

Discovery: ‘Conscious trade’ and artisan import love
Waterlily (26 Milk Street, Portland, 207.775.5459, info@waterlilyimports.com), is a “conscious trade” boutique featuring handmade clothing, jewelry, accessories, and gifts by artisans from the Portland area and across Asia. Being the true journalist that she is, Bernie talked with the shop girl – no offense meant, I just love that expression – and found that proprietor Renee Garland travels to Asia five months of the year to discover and handpick the wares that she sells in her shop. She began her journey several years ago, combining her love of travel with supporting artisans and sharing their artistry, and has been able to successfully sustain her business. Renee also creates and sews many of the textile goods, including jackets, pillows, and purses, which boast a harmonious explosion of colors.

Bone earrings hand carved from Bali artisans.

Bone earrings hand carved by Bali artisans.

If you check out Renee’s Facebook page, you’ll see that she created the intricate designs for the gorgeous bone earrings that Bali artisans hand carved in time for summer. The semi-precious stone earrings and other jewelry pieces made by Anusara, two sisters in Bangkok, are recent additions to Waterlily. Once again, I forgot to ask for the shop girl’s name, but a warm shout-out to her for her time and patience in responding to our questions, letting us know more about Waterlily, Renee, and the beautiful artisanal wares, and obliging my request to try on numerous pairs of bone earrings as we three tried to determine which intricate design and shape was our favorite – and looked the best on me. I hope I’ll still be coming to Portland every August because I found another unique destination and a deep appreciation for Renee’s artistic eye and fair trade philosophy.

Beautiful earrings from Anusara of Bangkok.

Beautiful earrings from Anusara of Bangkok.

Se Vende Imports's charming storefront.

Se Vende Imports’s charming storefront.

Discovery: Shop talk and more artisan import love
After such a wonderful time at Waterlily and the fact that we still hadn’t made it to the restaurant, I assured Bernie that we could skip my original destination point and make our way to the Flatbread Company. We were both still warm and glowing from discovering Waterlily. Perhaps it was that warmth and glow that compelled me to turn to Bernie one more time and ask if we couldn’t “just do a quick run-through” of this particular shop on Exchange Street. Bernie was game, so off we went. I had gone to Se Vende Imports (4 Exchange Street, Portland, 207.761.1808, info@sevendeimports.com) on Saturday with Jack, but longed to return and do another once-over. That Saturday I had chatted with a couple of women behind the counter, and in another stroke of luck, the younger woman was there.

Bernie and Cait (isn't that the name of a 1970s sitcom?).

Bernie and Cait (isn’t that the name of a 1970s sitcom?).

I remembered that Cait Capaldi – yes, we asked for her name – had mentioned that she was a belly dancer. As I snapped one photograph after another of the jewelry on display, Bernie had a great conversation with Cait, and we were treated to a heartwarming story. Cait had coveted a statement silver pendant on a leather cord made by the nomadic Tuareg Tribe of the Sahara Desert but being a starving college student, she couldn’t pull the trigger. Something about needing to eat over having a piece of jewelry! She went to the store to look at the pendant time and again, and then she ended up working for the owner of Se Vende Imports – yes, I forgot to ask for the owner’s name! While she tried to set aside money, even as the piece was set aside for her, saving up wasn’t happening soon enough. When Cait graduated, however, the owners, a mother/daughter duo, presented the pendant to her as a graduation present. It couldn’t have happened to a sweeter, more bubbly person. Cait indulged my request for a photo. She struck a confident pose after we both convinced Bernie to join in the fun and get in the picture.

Silver treasures.

Dripping with silver treasures.

Simple yet stunning Hill Tribe cuff.

Simple yet stunning Hill Tribe cuff.

Hoop dreams.

Hoop dreams.

The mother/daughter owners of Se Vende Imports also travel the world in search of unique jewelry and other finds, and support artisans by buying directly from them. Some of the other stunning pieces of jewelry are made by the Hill Tribe of Thailand, in the northern region of Myanmar (Burma). As I mentioned in Monday’s blog, Se Vende Imports carries a dizzying array of rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and accessories. And they run from very affordable rings and earrings at $16 to works of art for a pretty penny. There is truly something for every woman at her price point. I admit it – you can’t do a run-through. You have to walk slowly and appreciate the craftsmanship of the pieces. And enjoy the warm conversations and customer service. Bookmark. Promise to return. Done and done.

The Flatbread Company's version of the "bucket list."

The Flatbread Company’s version of the “bucket list.”

‘Before I die I want to….’
I never seem to hear my smartphone ping me when someone tries to call or text me. I was clearly distracted this time around. When we finally made a dash for the Flatbread Company, I discovered a few text messages from our frolleague Diana, asking where we were, though at a certain point, they knew. Bernie and I had stories to tell and pictures to show. We discovered that our New Media producer, Benjamin Harris, went to high school with Cait – such a small world, indeed! Bernie and I were more than ready for wine and pizza. On our way back to the hotel after dinner, Bernie, our frolleague Eric, and I stopped in front of a big black chalkboard that ran across the lower length of the restaurant’s building to the corner. It bore several columns and rows that proclaimed: “Before I die I want to” and then a blank line. Bernie wanted to write something down, although all the lines seemed to have been spoken for. None of us wrote a word, but as I returned to my hotel room and started packing, my toiletries and clothes retreating from the bathroom and closet, I thought about what I would write. I would take up several columns, though one of the first ones would be to write several novels and short stories and somehow get them out into the world. But if I were to capture the moment, I would write this: “Before I die I want to discover people and places, goodness and joy in everything, and the creative spirit in us all.”

Lighthouse on an island in Casco Bay.

Lighthouse on an island in Casco Bay.

As I prepared to leave Portland on my last night, I looked up and read the words of Robert McCloskey, from Time of Wonder, one of my all-time favorite children’s books, with great appreciation and not a little sadness: Take a farewell look at the waves and the sky. Take a farewell sniff of the salty sea. A little bit sad about the place you are leaving, a little bit glad about the place you are going. It is a time of quiet wonder – for wondering for instance: Where do hummingbirds go in a hurricane?

Maine sunset from Peaks Island, looking toward Portland.

Maine sunset from Peaks Island, looking back toward Portland.

Portland, Maine: vintage love times 3

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Out on the islands that poke their rocky shores about the waters of Penobscot Bay, you can watch the time of the world go by, from minute to minute, hour to hour, from day to day, season to season.
– Robert McCloskey, American writer and illustrator of children’s books, from Time of Wonder

Encore's storefront, appropriately located in a former jewelry store.

Encore’s storefront, appropriately located in a former jewelry store.

I couldn’t leave Portland without exerting a herculean effort to visit the three vintage shops that I’ve had the pleasure of perusing in past summer trips. My efforts – in the form of frenzied cab rides from South Portland to downtown Portland and back to my work summit during my lunch break in record time – was totally worth it. (That was an appropriate mouthful!) I recommend not shooting through in the less than the two hours’ time that I did because you really need to leisurely look and enjoy. This is the requirement and beauty of  all things vintage.

Vintage hats galore.

Vintage hats galore.

A mod 1960s skirt - yeah, baby, as Austin Powers would say.

A mod 1960s skirt – yeah, baby, as Austin Powers would say.

Proprietor Rita Prout-Farley opened Encore (521 Congress Street, Portland, 207.775.4275) in 1991 in Brunswick, Maine, but later moved to its current location, appropriately in a historic building built in 1856. Encore focuses on designer and select resale clothing, jewelry, and accessories from 1800 to the 1970s. A collector most of her life, Rita turned her love of fashion and collecting into her business. An apology to the wonderful sales woman who answered all of my questions – in my glee of being amidst vintage clothes and accessories, I forgot to ask for her name. Mille scuse! She graciously and patiently pulled out beautiful outfits for me to photograph. Encore is like a museum that you walk through in awe. Indeed, many outfits were used in films from yesteryear. Complete with tall wooden cabinets that house the antique and vintage jewelry, hats, purses, and shoes, Encore has been cited by Travel and Leisure Magazine as a one of its recommended vintage destinations in the country.

Glass cases dripping with vintage jewels.

Glass cases dripping with vintage jewels.

Encore boasts aisles of amazing vintage clothes.

Encore boasts aisles of amazing vintage clothes.

Material Objects (500 Congress Street, Portland, 207.774.1241) is just across the street from Encore and worth checking out the vintage dresses, especially from the 1960s era. This vintage and consignment shop also offers new goods such as jewelry.

Material Objects' storefront.

Material Objects’ storefront.

A mix of vintage and new jewelry.

A mix of vintage and new jewelry.

A flower power dress that looks circa 1960s at Material Objects.

A flower power dress that looks circa 1960s at Material Objects.

The charming Pinecone+Chickadee storefront.
The charming Pinecone+Chickadee storefront.

My last stop was a street over and a few blocks down. Noah DeFilippis and Amy Teh silkscreen their original designs on t-shirts made from organic material, recycled paper greeting cards and journals, and other accessories. Two years ago this charming storefront opened up and Pinecone+Chickadee (6 Free Street, Portland, 207.772.9280) was born. Musician Noah and graphic designer and illustrator Amy, who are also married, have expanded their offerings with their own line of jewelry. They also have a great collection of vintage wares. Last summer I came across a green-plaid, plastic-covered cardboard carry-on in an oval shape with a strap. I had the same carry-on – though I called it my suitcase back then – when I was a girl. Thanks for the memories!

Vintage goods that we couldn't live without back in the day.

Vintage goods that we couldn’t live without back in the day.

Part of an impressive collection of vintage cameras.

Part of an impressive collection of vintage cameras.

Pinecone+Chickadee's line of jewelry.

Pinecone+Chickadee’s line of jewelry.

Portland, Maine: my summer home

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I share the best
thing I can make – this stitching
together the memory
and heart-scrap, this wish
– Wesley McNair, Poet Laureate of Maine, from “Reading Poems at the Grange Meeting in What Must Be Heaven,” collected in My Brother Running

Beautiful downtown Portland, Maine.

Beautiful downtown Portland, Maine.

I’ve been coming to Portland, Maine, in August for the last eight years. My company is based in New Gloucester, Maine, and one of my dearest friends and later boss lives in The Pine Tree State. Jack and I met at Syracuse University when we were fiction writers in the Creative Writing Program back in 1988. Yes, I know, that was a long time ago. Jack and his business partner started a publishing company in the early 2000s, and he took me on as a freelancer shortly thereafter.

I was still a freelancer at the time when I started coming to the summer summits, which commenced two years before, but have been an FTE in the last three years. Ever since that first summer summit, I have stayed with Jack and his family – he met his wife, Fay, our second year at Syracuse – for the weekend and then the company summit would begin that Monday and Tuesday. In August 2010, my family came with me, and we explored the wonderful islands in the Portland area before heading to Boston for the rest of our family vacation.

Best bakery in and out of Portland.

Best bakery in and out of Portland.

I still remember the wonder of looking out the window of the plane for the first time before landing in Portland and seeing all the quaint but sturdy New England-style homes on the waterfront and the boats with their beautiful, billowy white sails in the still water. Jack and Fay’s three kids – Genny, Nick, and Camille – taught me the proper way to eat a lobster. There is nothing like fresh Maine lobster, such that I heed Jack’s warning to never order lobster at a restaurant lest I wish to be disappointed. It’s true.

Baked goods at The Standard Baking Co.

Baked goods and customer service with a smile at The Standard Baking Co.

Through the years, I’ve been lucky enough to take advantage of my downtime to dash to downtown Portland and enjoy the brick sidewalks and storybook shops, and take in the fresh salt air. This year, the grandmother of one of Jacob’s baseball teammates who hails from Boston recommended that I go to The Standard Baking Co. (75 Commercial Street, Portland, ME, 04101, 207.773.2112), which is well-known not only in Portland but in New England and beyond. We stopped on a Saturday afternoon, and the small shop was hopping as people came in and out on a continuous basis (no exaggeration here). I had to try the chocolate chip cookies, which did not disappoint. I’m told that their breads and pastries are equally delicious. Definitely a destination if you’re ever in Portland.

The well-curated Second Time Around.

The well-curated Second Time Around.

I hit Second Time Around (28 Exchange Street, Portland, 207.761.7037), a consignment shop that has several locations on the East Coast. The Portland shop is small but well curated, which means you can swoop in and out fairly quickly. Although supersize vintage and consignment shops can produce the thrill-of-the-hunt adrenalin, oftentimes and lately they overwhelm me. In the past, I have found a Nanette Lepore brocade jacket and a vintage 1940s jacket for a song. This stop, I snagged a Marc Jacobs embellished cropped cardigan. Other favorite shops in the downtown area include Abacus Gallery (44 Exchange Street, 207.772.4880), which features Elizabeth Ng jewelry made of antique buttons; Se Vende Imports (4 Exchange Street, Portland, 207.761.1808), which has beautiful imported jewelry ranging from inexpensive to $$$; and Wyler’s (92 Exchange Street, Portland, 207.775.0751), a gift shop featuring unusual greeting cards, jewelry, clothing, shoes, and everything in inbetween.

A plaque on Exchange Street highlights the historical importance of second-hand clothing stores during the Underground Railroad and for African-Americans.

A plaque on Exchange Street highlights the historical importance of second-hand clothing stores during the Underground Railroad and for African-Americans.

I didn’t make it to the vintage shops Encore, Material Objects, or Pinecone+Chickadee, with the latter two also offering locally crafted goods, on Saturday, but we’ll see if I can slip it in before I return home. The other thing I failed to do is take a picture of a beautiful home typical of the area with the caption of “my next home.” There is always a next time!

When we were island hopping back in 2010, the area reminded me of Robert McCloskey’s wonderful children’s books – Blueberries for Sal, A Time of Wonder, and One Morning in Maine – and Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius. It reminded me of the wish to have given my kids an annual summer vacation on an island, where they could hop on their bikes and take off, fish, and play in the water while I read novels under the cumulus clouds and brilliant sun. In the evenings we would eat leisurely dinners on a deck under the stars, where it is warm with a slight breeze. The days stretch on seemingly without end. And the water, the water is all glass.

The quintessential summer in Maine.

The quintessential summer in Maine.

Behold the summer bouquets, Volume 3

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A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in – what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.
– Victor Hugo, French poet, novelist, and dramatist, from Les Misérables

Alas, the nearly month-long fog has brought mildew to my dahlia plants, yellowing the leaves and making the blooms smaller and the stems spindly, which means I will be lucky if my flowers are still producing by the end of August. Thankfully, I have recorded my weekly bouquets in Technicolor, so while the typical San Francisco Bay Area summer temps are shortening the lifespan of my flowers, I can still enjoy what they looked like when the sun shone all day.

My bouquet for my friend Jane.

My bouquet for my friend Jane.

This time, I’m sharing a bountiful bouquet I made for my friend, Jane, whom I’ve known for more than 20 years. We met when we worked for Lutheran Social Services in San Francisco back in the early 1990s. We had a very nice dinner and a relaxing evening at the Bistro Liaison (1849 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510.849.2155).

Another July auction bouquet.

Another July auction bouquet.

I have another weekly bouquet for the winning bidder of my flowers at my son’s middle school auction. We’ll see if I can keep making them into September!

A bouquet for my sister and my mother.

A bouquet for my sister and my mother.

And lastly, I made a bouquet for my sister’s birthday in July. When we visited, we took three flowers from the bouquet and put them in the vase adorning our mother’s niche in Folsom.

Summer shorts are ready for my daughter's drama camp play. Silk shorts are paired with a bejeweled sweater and sequined clutch.

Summer shorts are ready for my daughter’s drama camp play. Silk shorts are paired with a bejeweled sweater, pointy nude pumps, and sequined clutch.

Who knew that a pair of Anthropologie chandelier earrings from a few years ago would match perfectly with this summer's bejeweled sweater?

Who knew that a pair of Anthropologie chandelier earrings from a few years ago would match perfectly with this summer’s bejeweled sweater? Accompanied by an antique button ring by Elizabeth Ngo (Abacus, Portland, ME) and Sundance stack of rings.

Silk, linen, sequins and beads, antique button, and acrylic jewels create a visual and textural feast.

Silk, linen, sequins and beads, antique button, and acrylic jewels create a visual and textural feast.

Erring in the direction of kindness

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Do all the other things, the ambitious things – travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after having it tested for monkey poop) – but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness.
– George Saunders, American writer, from his commencement speech at Syracuse University for the class of 2013

Dressing up in a casual way with shorts. My Kate Spade handbag was a big find at a local consignment shop.

Casual yet crisp dressing with shorts. I love mixing green and navy. My Kate Spade handbag was a big find at Urbanity, a local consignment shop in Berkeley, CA.

George Saunders’s commencement speech to the class of 2013 at Syracuse University went viral last week, shortly after appearing in the New York Times. It ranks as one of the top inspirational graduation speeches, in my opinion. What makes it enduring for me is how his advice resonates for all generations. Kindness is at the heart of his speech – though you should read it in its entirety. Looking back on his life, Saunders realized that the thing he regrets most in his life is his “failures of kindness.” As a result, he entreated the newly graduated to “try to be kinder.”

Saunders noted that we humans have difficulty being kinder because of three survival-of-the-fittest instincts, which can be at odds with being selfless and more open and loving: We’re central to the universe, we’re separate from the universe, and we’re permanent. This is why being kind is hard, according to Saunders. But have no fear: There is a way to kindness.

Different ways to dress up the white shirt, cardigan, print shorts: Laura Lombardi necklace (Chicago), Sundance ring, faux horn bracelet from Africa and Jenny K earrings (El Cerrito).

Different ways to dress up the white shirt, cardigan, print shorts: Laura Lombardi necklace (Eskell, Chicago), Sundance ring, horn cuff  from Africa given to me by my sister, and Carmela Rose earrings (Jenny K, El Cerrito).

Finding the way He believes that we become kinder with age. We become kinder, Saunders says, because of our life’s experiences – adversities knock us down, people lend us a helping hand and lift us up, and as a result we are grateful for our community. As we grow older, we see the uselessness of being selfish, staring straight-on at our mortality and watching our loved ones leave us. “As you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love,” Saunders said. “YOU will gradually be replaced by LOVE.”

Up close with brass on navy and vivid poses.

Up close with brass and horn on navy and a vivid print. The earrings are reclaimed vintage tokens.

Until then, however, the newly graduated have things to accomplish – careers, dreams, and accolades. Saunders assured them that it’s okay to be ambitious, as the two needn’t be mutually exclusive. “If we’re going to become kinder, that process has to include taking ourselves seriously – as doers, as accomplishers, as dreamers. We have to do that, to be our best selves,” he said. Saunders, who is 54 and graduated from Syracuse’s Creative Writing Program the year before I entered the program, has been a professor there since 1997, and is a highly acclaimed writer of short stories, novellas, and essays.

Change the mood of your outfit by the accessories you choose to be street-stylish.

Change the mood of your outfit with this statement necklace.

Saunders warns us not to let the act of trying to succeed take up all our energies, leaving the “big questions” untended. That’s why he entreats us to do the ambitious things but “err in the direction of kindness.” “Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial,” he said. Saunders advises us to reconnect or remain connected to the luminous part of ourselves “to know it better, nurture it, share its fruits tirelessly.”

Clustered pearl necklace changes the parent and child to beating up on themselves.

Clustered pearl necklace changes the outfit, upping the unique factor. Lava 9 chunky ring (Berkeley, CA).

Getting back to the luminous part of ourselves I can’t say that everyone becomes kinder with age, but for those of us in the second half of our lives, Saunders’s words either remind us of the possibilities or are an epiphany to a gentler, more serene way to live out the rest of our years. At our age, we can and should still strive to be our best selves, even if we haven’t yet accomplished what we set out to do with our lives when we were doe-eyed, in cap and gown, clutching our diplomas in our anxious hands. We may have been distracted and separated from the luminous part of ourselves – either from selfishness, darkness, confusion, sadness, and self-doubt or happenstance or discovery – but we can still “nurture it and share its fruits tirelessly” no matter where we are in our lives.

My sister gave me this bracelet from Africa and I picked up the net-over-pearl necklace at a local consignment shop.

My sister gave me this bracelet from Africa and I picked up the net-over-pearl necklace at a local consignment shop.

Alissa Hauser: expanding compassion through The Pollination Project and her life

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I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
– Mother Teresa, Albanian Roman Catholic nun, humanitarian, and Nobel Peace Prize winner

Alissa Houser, executive director of The Pollination Project, at Cafeina Organic Café in Albany, CA.

Alissa Hauser, executive director of The Pollination Project, at Cafeina Organic Café in Albany, CA.

You could say that both social justice and entrepreneurialism are in Alissa Hauser’s DNA. Raised in New Jersey, the executive director of The Pollination Project grew up with the spirit of volunteerism in her family. When she was young, she stuffed envelopes for local candidates for her politically active parents. After graduating and moving to San Francisco in 1993, she knew she wanted to work in nonprofits. When those organizations didn’t know how to run a business, however, she earned her degree in MBA for nonprofits at the University of San Francisco so she could bring business savvy into the nonprofit world. “My path has always been to be involved in more entrepreneurial, small-growing nonprofits than as part of a cog in a big wheel in a large nonprofit,” said Alissa, who now lives in El Cerrito, CA. “I really like being able to be close to the work we’re doing.”

Her first job out of graduate school was with Resourceful Women [now called Inspired Legacies], which educates and empowers socially responsible women with wealth to use their money as a tool for social change. Alissa then worked with activist and environmentalist Julia Butterfly Hill, whom she helped to develop her body of environmental education through Circle of Life, the organization Hill founded. Circle of Life incubated Engage Network, which develops best practices for engaging people in an issue or cause and consults with large nonprofits on how to engage their members and supporters. One of the programs that Engage Network established was Off the Mat and Into the World, a network of people who do yoga and are engaged in social-change efforts. The project has raised millions of dollars to train leaders and support causes around the world.

Deciding that it was time for a change, Alissa left Engage Network in June 2012. Within days of her exit, Ariel Nessel, who had been a donor for some of the organizations she had run, reached out to her with his idea for The Pollination Project – to give a $1,000 grant a day  to social-change entrepreneurs. “He knew that I liked to start things and build up,” Alissa said. When asked if she could help him set up the foundation, she exclaimed, “I know when something is a ‘yes.’ It was a perfect fit for me.”

Alissa and her husband and son at the Family Block Party, hosted by the Alphabet Rockers, an Oakland, CA-based kids hip-hop band (courtesy of Alissa Houser).

Alissa and her husband and son at the Family Block Party, hosted by the Alphabet Rockers, an Oakland, CA-based kids hip-hop band (courtesy of Alissa Houser).

Spreading more kindness and compassion
Indeed, The Pollination Project’s mission to expand compassion to the planet, people, and animals is closely aligned to Alissa’s philosophy. “What I’m most committed to is creating more kindness and compassion in the world,” she said. “There are so many ways to do it; there are so many ways I have done it. But at the end of the day, I just want to be a person who inspires other people to be nice to one another, no matter who they are or what they’ve done.” In memory of the victims at Sandy Hook, Alissa and one of her friends conducted acts of kindness on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and documented them in an accompanying photo blog. “It was rewarding, but it’s more than just a day,” she countered. “It’s a way of life that I aspire to.”

One important lifestyle decision that Alissa and her husband “deliberately and intentionally” made was to eschew having biological kids and instead adopt through the Contra Costa County foster care system. She and her husband fostered their son, who was seven months at the time, and then adopted him. Alissa is a passionate advocate for the foster care system and the “amazing, heroic people who are in that system raising and caring for kids whom people don’t ever think about.” Through her experience with the system, she has discovered the “profound resiliency” in the children. “Kids want to be awesome; they just want people to give them a chance,” she enthused.

Barn Buddies pairs rescued ponies with foster and adopted kids (courtesy of The Pollination Project).

Barn Buddies pairs rescued ponies with foster and adopted kids (courtesy of The Pollination Project).

Alissa encourages everybody to consider the children in our communities who are already here and who can flourish under our guidance, love, and creativity, and become the President of the United States, doctors, and lawyers. Stigmatized, foster kids are treated as if they’re “broken and damaged goods, but they’re not,” Alissa adamantly says. “I’m really passionate about that.” In April, The Pollination Project funded a program founded by Rachel Pate and Kathy Lee, who have adopted children into their families. Barn Buddies, an equine-assisted therapy program, serves both foster and adopted children in metro Atlanta by pairing them with rescued ponies. The grant will help to build a barn for the ponies.

Finding your passion and purpose
Alissa firmly believes that everyone is given his or her life to do something with it. “Making a difference doesn’t have to be hard,” she contends. “Be clear about who you are, what you have to offer, and what you want to create in the world – and you can bring that to everything you do.” It’s really that simple, according to Alissa. “I do the work I do in the world, but at the end of the day, I could work at Starbuck’s and still have my life be about being kind and having people be nice and be happy,” she said. “It starts with inner intention.”

A protest against fracking (courtesy of The Pollination Project).

A protest against fracking (courtesy of The Pollination Project).

Inner intention to one small step
It may start with inner intention for Alissa and indeed for many of the grantees, but The Pollination Project helps to bring those intentions out into the world. Alissa told me about Tawd Bell and his Divest to Protect project. Tawd is organizing a campaign to get companies and individuals to stop doing business with their local community bank in Columbus, Ohio, unless the bank reneges on its recent pro-fracking investment. “Sometimes, with the issues going on in the world, the big win is made up of a lot of little steps,” she said. “There are so many small, small steps, and the big win is so far off it’s probably not in our generation or our grandchildren’s generation. But you have to take those little steps.”

During the weekly application review, the team questioned whether boycotting one community bank with 200 accounts will make a difference. On the other hand, this bank’s position could be the first of many other local banks’ forays into investments that threaten the environment. “My position is that you have to do something and you have to win something,” Alissa said. And that’s The Pollination Project and Alissa’s philosophy – helping one change-maker, one vision, and one step every day.

Editor’s Note: If you have or someone you know has a project that would be a good candidate for a grant from The Pollination Project, you can access an application here.