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Dear friends of The Mountain,
We want you to know all of us at The Mountain are keeping you and your own family's well-being in our thoughts and in our hearts during this health crisis. We trust you are making those tough yet wise decisions in your own lives. It’s times like this that make us pause and stop and examine what is important, what are we doing here and why? Let us look within:
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The Mission of The Mountain:
The Mountain enriches lives, fosters an appreciation of the natural world, honors the interconnectedness of all things, and inspires people to build inclusive, meaningful, sustainable communities throughout their lives.
Right now, the interconnectedness of the world is quite palpable. For better or worse. What we do has ripples, at times unknowable and far beyond us. The Mountain has always aimed to be a center for growth, reflection, learning, renewal, and hope. We sincerely hope our actions have created positive ripples in your life. Under these trying circumstances we can still try to accomplish a major goal of The Mountain, to enhance the lives of others. In fact, we are challenging ourselves as to how to do exactly that.
While our day-to-day routines have changed pretty dramatically, it’s important to remember that we can still seek joy, peace, and health. Do all you can to be well and keep your families well. Eat nourishing foods and take this time to reflect on what matters in your day. Health and family are certainly high on the list. Perhaps you can get in touch with your local community, and neighbors, build stronger networks where you find yourself, extend aid where you safely can. Together we are learning to build a better community.
To do our part to help "flatten that curve” we are left making tough choices. We are following the CDC guidelines in order to reduce chances of viral spread and in the name of Public Health. All programs are canceled or rescheduled until late May. Our goal during this time is to keep staff employed and paid; however,with no current guests our monthly expenditures and employee compensation is more than our current savings will cover beyond several months. In order to persist and be resilient we are reducing overhead costs from multiple directions, including reducing utilities and work hours.
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Those losses are projected to be over $120,000, around 14% of our yearly retreat revenue. There may be more cuts needed as time goes on. Please periodically check our website or call for any updates from The Mountain. We will be monitoring the social climate as closely as we can to determine our next and best course of action.
We realize the financial hit many people and their businesses are taking. We encourage our community to take care of those in need locally first during this time. If you find that you can extend your care and grace to The Mountain it would be greatly appreciated. Historically donations make up a quarter of our annual budget. Any contribution at this time will be put to the best of use, aiding our staff with navigating any unforeseeable shortfalls. We also intend to be making the best use of this pause and reflection for investing in our infrastructure, community needs and remaining focused on providing the best service when we are able to resume programming.
We might need to keep some physical distance from each other for a while, but we don’t need to shut ourselves in. The great outdoors is still open for many (just remember to practice social distancing!). We encourage you to enjoy some open spaces for mental, physical and emotional healing. We invite you to move your body, breathe the fresh air, and strengthen your spirit in the safe haven and healer that’s always been there - Nature. As a community committed to celebrating and protecting Mother Nature, let’s not forget that this relationship is symbiotic - we can count on her to help take care of us, too.
We want to focus on staying safe, quelling the infection of fear in our hearts, and at the same time support and stay connected with folks and organizations we care about. If you have suggestions or stories you would care to share with the larger Mountain community with how you are coping or struggling, or any silver linings, please feel free to get in touch with us at development@themountainrlc.org. Let us know if you wish to be named or would prefer your story to be anonymous. We apologize for programs and events that have been canceled, please contact us about refunds and rescheduling at gsoffice@themountainrlc.org. We hope to continue to stay in touch, while taking this time to rejuvenate so we may be here for you when the time comes.
We look forward to evolving and engaging and building a stronger healthier community and world through these times.
