Devastation
In September 2020, Breitenbush was ravaged by the convergence of the Beachie Creek and Lions Gate wildfires. It ripped through the property, destroying 99% of all guest overnight accommodations, 13 staff homes and all of their belongings, the Workshop with all of its tools, equipment and supplies, the Healing Arts Building, and the beloved Sanctuary. Along with buildings, it decimated groves of old growth forest and the off-the-grid infrastructure that allows Breitenbush to maintain its facilities. Beyond the physical loss, we had to lay off 99% of the staff. With the loss of employment also came the loss of home and community. The Co-operative was disbanded and it has been devastating.
We have just passed the 1 year anniversary of this devastation and are still attempting to find our footing. We have been able to clear out the majority of hazards that posed physical threats to the livelihood of those who have come back to start us up again. We have our systems back online and have begun the slow and steady uphill climb towards rebuilding the physical structures on the property, our staffing, and our community. The task is enormous and comes with continuous challenges.
What do we need?
To support any rebuilding effort, we need to first redevelop our streams of revenue. This means building overnight accommodations for guests to stay here. That revenue helps us build up our staffing to support our teams and pay the bills needed to keep us running. We have been able to make a few new accommodations with what we have, but we really need to start building anew. The cost of raw materials, labor, shipping shortages, and overhead are at an all time high. We’ve got a big challenge in front of us!
Our ask: Help us get there.
Our goal is to raise $2,000,000 in 2022. We received some insurance money after the 2020 fires, but we are at least $2 million short of what we need to build adequate lodging and continue to stay open. We have already had $35k gifted to us to create a matching gifts donation for November and December 2021, which we've met with your support. We have another $25k matching gift donation ready for us for the month of January.
We have held space for healing since our beginning,
and now we need your help to heal ourselves.
Please donate, share our mission on social media, or even just come for a soak.
Everything helps, thank you so much ❤️
