May 29. 2020

Friends of Fabric of Life,

We have all watched with deep sadness and heartache the violent grip racism has on our country. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others, challenge us to comprehend the reality of what it means to be born black in America.

We stand together with the black community and with all of those who fear their safety because of racism.

There is so much work to be done to heal the unspeakable wounds it has brought to the black communities. There are no simple solutions that will make the situation better, but by being thoughtful in our learning and deliberate in our actions we can begin to take steps to right the injustices of racism.

As part of standing together, the Fabric of Life community has decided that we will need to put this year’s Barnfest on hold for the time being. We will be taking some time to re-evaluate and understand how we can begin to develop the substantive changes that will need to come next.

Community is such an important aspect of everything we do with the Fabric of Life programming. We look forward to being together with you all again very soon, virtually for now, hopefully in person in the near future.

Now is not the moment for celebration. Instead we ask that you take some time for reflection, healing and action. Connect with friends and neighbors, reach out to those who are vulnerable during this time to listen to their experiences and then make the time to learn how you can become an advocate and an ally through the numerous BIPOC resources available.

We thank you all for being part of our community.