The Giving Gifts is setting up its very first hub in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico! This marks a pivotal moment and I wanted to take the time to share more in depth on why Ensenada?
I actually want to take you back to April 2021; I reached out to Karen Garcia and asked her what her thoughts were on me moving to Ensenada; I will never forget that 1.5-hour call and what would transpire. I have my notes from that call that I took while I sat in my car…I found that notebook so I could share that note with you! Before I even got to asking Karen anything, I simply asked how Ensenada was doing a year into Covid, and her response was all the confirmation I could have ever needed. Karen shared that through Covid she was really encouraged by three things:
Resilience through suffering
Creativity: especially with small businesses
Innovation: people coming together to make things happen
p.s. resilience is a difficult world to spell quickly in the car okayyyyyy.
I will NEVER forget the feeling that came over me hearing Karen share this; even as I type this, I have chills. Karen would not have had any idea that these three specific themes were themes that I was so desperately craving and lacking, and needing. Here we are 2.5 years later, and I truly can attest to this being so incredibly true here in Ensenada.
When moving to Ensenada, MX, it was very clear to me that I was not moving here to try to change anything within the community. After two years, I can confidently say this community has changed me; through a lot of learning and, more than anything, a lot of relationship building, the doors have been opened to launch this hub, and I want to be very very very clear that this would not be possible without a team of community representatives who I confidently trust to voice their opinions and who confidently trust that I will listen and respond accordingly to what they believe is best for the amazing people who make up this amazing place.
The Giving Gifts mission has always revolved around collaboration and understanding, recognizing the significance of working closely with local leaders to align our initiatives with genuine community needs. This has been a core pillar of The Giving Gifts since the very beginning, having seen and experienced firsthand how often organizations who mean to do good will often cause harm in community settings simply by not really listening to what’s needed in a community and just inserting a “fix-it” bandaid in the form of a program, a house build, a meal in a bag, etc.
A few months ago, I found myself in a really fascinating place with The Giving Gifts, it was evident that some shifts were happening and this concept of creating hubs became very clear and palpable. It also became very clear that to really see out the vision of these new initiatives that would bring together Mental health and sustainability efforts, it would be helpful to be present in the community the initiatives would take place. After reaching out to a handful of people here in Ensenada and getting a ton of “YES! LET’S DO IT,” it was confirmed that Ensenada will be the geographical location for the rollout of these new initiatives.
As we continue to identify how the initiatives will be created, there are a few pillars that are specific to Ensenada that align with The Giving Gifts that I want to share; keep in mind everything we are creating will be rooted in mental health awareness and incorporate the use of trauma-informed care tools, aiding the exploration of an individual's gift:
Youth Focus: Prioritizing youth involvement through cleanups, workshops, and educational programs.
Honoring Resilience: Resilience runs deep through people and through the environment here in Ensenada. The Giving Gifts initiatives will be leaning into Ensenada's cultural richness, coastal connection, and marine life and creating a tie with personal resilience, communal resilience, and what we learn from the resilience in nature.
Supporting Innovation: Recognizing and supporting the vibrant small business community, especially women-owned enterprises.
As always, I hope you will continue to be part of The Giving Gifts community and join us in the spirit of collaboration, learning, and growth. The hope for what we are creating here in Ensenada is for a ripple effect to take place globally.
Your unwavering support is really what fuels this mission, and I sincerely appreciate your belief in The Giving Gifts. Exciting times lie ahead, and we're thrilled to have you with us on this transformative adventure.
A few next steps:
Be on the lookout for updates: Stay in the loop by signing up for newsletters and updates from The Giving Gifts. This ensures you receive timely information about the progress of initiatives, upcoming events, and ways to get involved.
Spread the Word: Help amplify the impact by sharing The Giving Gifts' mission and Ensenada hub initiatives with your friends, family, and social media. Please encourage others to join the community, participate in events, and contribute to positive change…we will be doing a lot more on Instagram, and your engagement is SO appreciated!
Take action: Explore opportunities to contribute actively to the initiatives in Ensenada. Whether volunteering your time and skills or donating, your involvement can uniquely make a meaningful impact. Our FIRST cleanup is happening on SATURDAY, MARCH 2nd. If you’d like to participate, I would LOVE to find a way to make that happen!