Executive Director Alice Light with her daughters - born with all-star birth team and longtime Natural Resources supporters Nile Nash, Sue Baelen, and Britt Fohrman!
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{First Name}...
On behalf of the Natural Resources All Families Foundation Board, we are pleased to announce we have appointed Alice Light as Executive Director. You can view the press release
here
.
Alice joined the Natural Resources Board in 2018. On her own journey to parenthood, she experienced first-hand the importance of support, empowerment, education, and community during this time of transformation and change. An urban planner, designer, yoga teacher, and advocate, she brings together a wide array of skills that will be of great benefit to Natural Resources.
Our process began with a discussion around clarifying our message, providing services to more folx, working more closely with the city and the support it offers for nonprofits, strengthening our donor base and fundraising efforts, and growing our board. This is an ambitious wish list for our little labor of love, and we feel that Alice has the gumption, passion, and skills to see great success.
Our beloved Bobbi Williams remains a key player on the Natural Resources leadership team, and will work in partnership with Alice as Director of Operations. Bobbi has been with Natural Resources for over a decade. She keeps everything going and we are pleased to have her continued presence on our leadership team.
Ginny Zeppa, former owner of Natural Resources and founder of the non-profit, has stepped down from her Board duties. You will still see her around, as she continues to be involved as a facilitator and important member of our community. She is part of our DNA and we are forever grateful for all she has put into Natural Resources! (But she is not the person to go to if you have a problem
😉)
Aaaand there’s more! We set a goal to grow our Board, and grow it has. Over the last year, we have welcomed Mercy Manning, Eliana Lopez, Erica Saltiel-Levin, and Lee Burgess. All have used and loved Natural Resources, and we are deeply grateful for the breadth of expertise and skill they bring to the table, and for their commitment to continuing our work to nurture families from pregnancy to early childhood.
Please join us in congratulating Alice, thanking Ginny, acknowledging Bobbi, and welcoming our new Board Members! We are confident that these changes will build upon Natural Resource’s 31-year legacy and we are excited for what is to come.
We thank you for your ongoing support of Natural Resources,
Tracy Massillon, Board President
Sue Baelen, Board Secretary
Mercy Manning, Board Treasurer
Eliana Lopez, Board Member
Erica Saltiel-Levin, Board Member
Lee Burgess, Board Member
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Also happening at Natural Resources...
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This Mother's Day: Pampering, but also Pain
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Mother's Day Can Be Hard
As Mother's Day approaches, we want to acknowledge the challenges it brings to the surface for many. It's not all hallmark cards and butterflies. It can magnify the pain of a mother gone, a wish to be a mother, a child struggling or no longer here. We've included an excerpt from an article by therapist Candyce Ossefort-Russell below.
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Every day, exercise your heart by taking in life’s little pains and joys — that kind of exercise will make your heart supple, the way a runner makes a muscle supple, so that when it breaks, (and it surely will,) it will break not into a fragment grenade, but into a greater capacity for love.
— Parker Palmer
I recall my first Mother’s Day with tenderness. My baby boy was six weeks old, still waking to nurse throughout the night. I squealed with gratitude when my husband sent me back to bed for a nap. Later I woke to the smell of sizzling bacon, and discovered flowers next to my plate when I walked into the kitchen. My husband beamed with pride as he served breakfast with one arm and held the baby in the other.
Mother’s Day calls to mind scenes like this one. We imagine bouquets of tulips and sloppy finger-painted greeting cards; crowded brunch tables and long distance phone calls. Whether it’s a party with Grandma, Mom, and the cousins; or a quick phone call to Mama in the afternoon, Mother’s Day is festive or at the very least a quick dispatching of obligation.
Yet almost a million Americans lost mothers in the past year. Nearly as many mothers lost children. Many others live in circumstances that make being a mother or having a mother painful rather than joyful. So while most people approach Mother’s Day with mild to exuberant enthusiasm, many others grapple with grief. (
read full article
)
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That was fun!
You came, we pampered!
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Thanks to those who came to our
Pamper Party
on Tuesday! We loved holding your babies while you got massages, watching as you got manicures from Q Spa with sleeping babies in carriers, and witnessing all the conversations and connections being made.
Many thanks to our service providers
Bonnie Rose Weaver
who led DIY Bath Salt making,
Natalie Vartanian
who read the cards with Tarot, Spring Smith and
Laura Barbossa
who did massage.
Suzanne Koval of
Baobei Maternity
led new mama pilates AND supplied giveaways of her amazing products.
Additional giveaways and contributions were from:
The Scarlet Sage Herb Co.
,
Thinkbaby Thinksport
,
Motherlove Herbal Company
,
Juice Beauty
,
Earth Mama Organics
,
All Good Living
,
Bao Bei Maternity
,
Tiny Tots Diaper Service
, Comfy Cozy,
Herb Lore
,
Mrs. Patel's
&
Canary rugs
.
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TIME TO HEAD BACK TO WORK?
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Sat, May 25, 2:30pm
Going back to work after becoming a Mom has its challenges. You may feel a tug and pull between staying home and returning to a part of your life that was significant pre-baby... You may be counting the days until you go back to your career life or you may be extremely sad and not want to go back to work but feel stuck.
Wherever you are, this workshop is here to support you through this profound transition.
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Whether you’re expecting or already a parent, you may be curious about how to create a non-toxic and healthy home. Join Karen Wang, PhD, to learn how the environment we create in our homes can impact health. She’ll provide the latest research and share simple tips on how to protect your family.
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Expecting or already a parent and find yourself wondering:
- What you can do for a non-toxic pregnancy?
- What teethers and toys are safe for your baby?
- Are your plastic food containers safe?
- What phthalate-free or any other ______-free label on your personal care products and baby products mean?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with information from the internet without really knowing what will truly make a difference for your health and the health of your family.
The first years of a baby’s life are a particularly sensitive time of development, and there are small behavior and purchasing choices really do matter for improving health.
You’ll learn about chemicals of concern, simple ways to limit you and your family’s exposure, and why it all matters. This workshop will leave you with the knowledge and confidence to make informed, science-based choices about how to create a non-toxic home.
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CALLING ALL BIRTH & PARENTING PROFESSIONALS
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In recognition of your contribution to the birth and early parenting community and your support of Natural Resources, you are invited to a special gathering on the "Ohana Floor" - of Salesforce's East Tower.
This event is for professionals involved in birth and early childhood: perinatal professionals, doulas, midwives, OBs, nurses, yoga instructors, childbirth educators, lactation consultants, parenting educators, pediatricians... If you are involved in birth and early parenting, you don't want to miss this - this is your people, all in one room!
PLEASE NOTE:
Ticket sales END on Monday, May 27
!!! This is for security reasons at the building. There will be no ticket sales at the event. Please don't wait until the last minute or we won't be able to welcome you to the party!
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Working on sleep?
This in-depth workshop with sleep expert
Sarah Healy
will teach parents how to establish good sleep habits and a healthy schedule for their babies and themselves using The Millette Methodâ„¢.
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Rock out!
💃
Movement and play. Come rock with us through dance! For all children walking to age 3.
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Rockin' Tots - Toddler & Pre-Schooler Dance Class
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Fridays through May 24, 10am
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Massage

Sharing loving touch with your baby builds love, respect, and trust as you learn to calm, delight, attune to, and ease fussiness in your little one. And it's fun!
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GET THE SUPPORT YOU NEED!
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Similarly to how the beauty of the rainbow will not undo the damage a storm might have done, a rainbow baby can bring joy and hope while the painful feelings of the loss might still linger. Many expectant or new parents who have lost a pregnancy will experience fear of another loss, anxiety, confusion, guilt, and often a new layer of grief.
Over The Rainbow
on
Thu, May 30 at 6pm
offers parents with a rainbow baby a sense of community, as well as tools to acknowledge, communicate and work with their feelings.
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A rainbow baby is a baby born after a miscarriage
or stillbirth.
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Expecting?
Have you considered hiring a Doula?

A doula is a birth and or postpartum professional who is experienced and professionally trained to provide continuous support to the growing family.
Learn more about doulas
While there are lot ways to look for a doula online (
including on our site) nothing beats face to face meetings to see if hiring someone would be right for you. Come to:
Find a Doula
FREE
Thu, May 23, 6:30pm and every 4th Thursday
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MAY & BEYOND
Sun, Jun 9, 2:30pm
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EVERY WEEK
Schedule subject to change.
Every Monday, 1pm
(no groups on most holidays - please check schedule)

FREE
Play Group (
NEW TIME) Every Monday, 3pm &
Fridays at 2:30
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EVERY MONTH
Dates may change. Please check schedule before heading to class
Every 3rd Tuesday, 6:30pm
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Preparing Your Vagina For Birth - will be scheduled for June 26th, July 1 & 8th
IF we meet the needed minimum. Please
join the waiting list so we can gauge interest.
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FOR DOULAS
Next training will begin October 28
1st Thursdays, 10am
2nd Thursdays, 2pm
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SAVE $5.00! Text NATRES to 33222 to join our VIP Text Club
You'll receive special deals, class updates and other Natural Resources News
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