Green Wood Coalition

Mobilizing around housing

11/17/2022

'We can't wait to show how much hope and possibility
is contained in one tiny cabin.'
- Northumberland Sleeping Cabins Collective

A tiny heated space -- bed, dresser, mini fridge, some shelves and a door that locks. A home.

Imagine what it would mean to be invited in from cold, back alleyways, woods, abandoned sheds and cars -- to no longer be shunted between hiding spots by bylaw enforcement officers whose message is clear: there’s no place for you in our town.

Countering that message is the Northumberland Sleeping Cabins Collective. Formed less than two months ago, the community-led group is racing against time to build a sleeping cabin community for 10 to 12 individuals who are unhoused, before the worst of winter sets in.

Fifty people showed up at its first meeting last month to offer support. Hundreds are dropping by for a peek of a model bunkie, lent from Kingston’s sleeping cabin community, as it tours Cobourg and Port Hope.

“People want a solution,” says organizer Jenni Frenke. “It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s an urgent response, and it’s better than a tent and better than a shelter. We just need to get it done.”

What will move the project from vision to reality?
Land is key. A private donation of a half-to-one-acre lot in Cobourg or Port Hope with an unused building for common washrooms and kitchen would be ideal, but the Collective says it can work with other scenarios. In Kitchener-Waterloo, A Better Tent City bypassed red tape when a private landowner stepped forward with land. Last year the City of Kingston surprised many by making two municipally owned sites available for Our Livable Solutions. Here, with newly elected mayors and councils in Cobourg and Port Hope, who knows what's possible!

Money, of course. With serviced land, the 8 X 10 ft. bunkies could cost up to $10,000 each to build, but every day brings new offers of labour and materials. Green Wood Coalition, as a registered charity, will partner with the Collective to make donating seamless. “If everybody pulls together we can make something that feels like a huge thing achievable,” says Jenni.

Last but not least, community. Northumberland Sleeping Cabins Collective began when a handful of people took action to do better by our unsheltered neighbours, and it's grown exponentially from there. Jenni says “spread the word, share our Facebook page, tap into every network, because you never know what skills, talents and resources lay hidden among us.”

Online art sale starts

9/11/2022

Carol Anne Judd, Cobourg Artist

Photographer donates works of art in support of Green Wood

“Look up. Beauty is everywhere, but in our busy lives and our troubles, we often don’t see what’s right in front of us. It’s my job to expose that, capture and share it, so people can stop -- just for a minute -- and say, Wow, it’s there, I didn’t notice it before, but now I do.” -- Carol Anne Judd

Starting Monday, Sept. 12 and running until Thursday, Sept. 29, the photography of Carol Anne Judd will be offered for sale on Green Wood Coalition’s Instagram page. A new work of art will be posted daily, going to the first person who comments “SOLD.”

Judd is an impressionist photographer whose ethereal, otherworldly images reflect her unique perspective as a person living with a disability, a quality she’s come to regard as her “superpower.”

“I look at things from a child’s view. Although I’m 6 ft.1 in stature, from my chair I’m at the level of a child and, in so many ways, look at things as a child might. I see magic everywhere and want to invite others to see that too.”

Donating her canvasses felt like a tangible way to help -- something Judd believes everyone who is part of a community wants to do but doesn’t always know how. In the face of the growing opioid epidemic she looked for a way to support the increased demands on Green Wood’s street-level outreach, and art provided the means.

Each photograph will be priced at $100, and anyone who chooses to donate more will receive a charitable tax receipt for the additional amount. Half of the proceeds from sales of art will go to Green Wood’s creative programs and half to the Anishnaabe Kwewag Gamig Regional Women’s Shelter at Alderville First Nation.

To view the art pieces, visit www.instagram.com/greenwoodcoalition

WHERE HEALING HAPPENS

8/14/2022

"A therapeutic garden is a plant-dominated environment purposefully designed to facilitate interaction with the healing elements of nature. Interactions can be passive or active depending on the garden design and users’ needs.”
-Definition: American Horticultural Therapy Association

SNOW BLANKETED the ground last March as Lori Groves picked up a sketch pad and measuring tape to begin planning Green Wood’s therapeutic garden. The drawing taking shape before her eyes was intricate and detailed. It called on the four “rooms” of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual healing at the basis of the RedPath Addiction Recovery Program Facilitator training she had just completed; its four directional pattern drew from the elemental wheel of air, fire, water and earth, and its circular shape evoked the Indigenous cycle of life -- birth, life, death and rebirth. All of these teachings, Lori recalls, “just came together.”

By the time the earth thawed, Lori had shared and refined her plans. Green Wood’s first therapeutic community garden was ready to spring to life.

At its core is inclusivity. The intentional design encourages the widest variety of people to feel welcome and use it -- pick and eat the produce, smell the flowers, co-exist with the plants, animals and insects and benefit from everything it has to offer -- not the least of which is its force as a place of serenity, beauty and healing.

“The design -- the balance and harmony of it -- strengthens the connection between people and the space and the place,” she says. “We might not consciously recognize the connection, but everyone can come into this space and feel safety and belonging.”

“I like the energy here. No matter how I’m feeling when I arrive,
I always feel better here in the garden.”
-Visitor to the garden

A FEW WEEKS AGO a man rode his bike to the Community Hive to charge his phone and pick up supplies. After helping him, Lori showed him around the garden.

“At first, it was an exploration. We went to all the different garden boxes and looked at what was growing. He sampled what was ready for harvest and asked a lot of questions about the plants. In the herbal tea garden he’d take a leaf, crush it, rub it, smell it and guess what it was. He played the guitar, sang and helped me and a volunteer garden helper rake and trim. It was a really fun experience. He said it was the best day he’s had in a very long time.”

As he left, Lori showed him the bags for harvesting, invited him to help himself to produce and help out any time. He stayed six hours that day and has returned every day since.

THE GARDEN’S PRIMARY FOCUS is to promote social and community engagement. Food is secondary. But as summer peaks, the harvest’s appeal is undeniable. Plump shell peas, long, slender green and yellow beans, shiny cucumbers and clusters of purple and giant red tomatoes hang heavy on the vines. Everywhere signs encourage people to “Pick Me!” And like everything else about its design, the signage is intentional.

“Signage invites people to engage with the garden, to let them know, ‘I can pick this, it’s safe to pick this, I’m supposed to pick this!’ We want everyone to take and enjoy the vegetables and flowers. We want people to know it’s openly shared.”

WHO USES THE GARDEN? A better question would be who doesn’t. Dedicated helpers have taken on every conceivable task from transplanting seedlings from the greenhouse to building raised beds and watering. A youth art group transplanted basil seedlings and created garden markers. The drop-in art group uses the garden for inspiration and is creating a mural on the garden shed. Guided meditation sessions and the QnA (Queers n Allies Northumberland) youth group have made it their meeting place. Kids play in it, searching for insects and bunnies, others drop by to pick flowers, and photographers are drawn to it. One regular visitor lives in a room with little access to nature, so instead of watching TV, comes to relax or help.

“Whatever a person needs from the garden I think they can find it, whether that’s play, sitting to contemplate and reflect, growing something, harvesting something or doing a purposeful task. Healing is such an individualized process, and the garden supports all of those interactions.”

SOCIAL CONNECTION, HEALING, BELONGING, INCLUSIVITY, SAFETY, HOPE. Lori has used all of these to describe the garden’s underlying principles. Then we happen on one final word - nurturing.

“The act of nurturing is such an important part of therapeutic horticulture because it asks: What conditions does this plant need to thrive? Then we think, ‘What do I need to thrive, what kind of environment, what kind of basic needs, what do I need around me?’

“By planting a seed, caring for that seed and growing a plant we learn how to nurture and, in that, we build self confidence, a sense of ‘I can do this!’ Maybe from there we can start to nurture ourselves and nurture others.”

International overdose awareness

8/14/2022

'Show compassion, recognize
this was a person who deserved to live...'
-Missy McLean

On Wednesday, August 31, memorial services and vigils will take place across the country in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day, remembering without stigma those who have died while acknowledging the grief of families and friends left behind.

Tragically, the event takes place amidst ever-spiralling overdose deaths. Here in Northumberland County, commemorative activities will take place in front of Victoria Hall in Cobourg throughout the day.

Missy McLean, a Green Wood Coalition board member, director of Moms Stop the Harm and activist who works for policy change to address this crisis, supports those who have lost loved ones and friends.

First, she wants people to understand these “deaths by policy” could be prevented by a nationally regulated, safe drug supply. She urges people to write to their elected officials to demand they “respond to this national emergency.”

Second, she hopes that through events like these, increased education will open hearts and minds. “Show compassion, recognize their humanity, recognize this was a person who deserved to live and that this death was preventable.”

Daytime activities will include an art installation, sidewalk talks and free Naloxone training. A candlelight vigil will follow at 8:00 p.m.

Northumberland Hills Hospital will host a display in its lobby throughout the month.

community 101 event

8/8/2022

What can the community accomplish that institutions can't? Join us for reflections on the recent 'Shelter in Peace' homelessness initiative and small group conversations about community-led, collective action. All are welcome at no cost. Photo: communitymurals.info

Wednesday, August 17, 7:00 PM
Trinity United Church
284 Division St., Cobourg, ON

Pass the mustard!

7/28/2022

Nothing says summer and fun like a great hot dog. In the spirit of eating together and building community, Green Wood will offer free hot dogs at Memorial Park (beside Port Hope Town Hall) on Thursday evenings (5:30-6:30 PM) throughout the summer. Drop by to say hello. We're there as part of the Road to Cultivate concert series at the bandshell (music starts at 6 PM).

Stockpile hope like toilet paper.

6/29/2022

Shane Koyczan, internationally acclaimed poet and spoken word performer, has offered some much-needed hope for a better tomorrow through his recent video performance, 'Tomorrow'. Earlier this year he released the poem on YouTube speaking a message of hope for what 2022 could bring.

“Stockpile hope like toilet paper,” he says. But he also says it will take time to heal. The way out of this is with love, Koyczan says. With his powerful words, Koyczan says “there will be a tomorrow, there will be dancing, dating, live concerts, beaches and Ferris wheels, open mic and art.”

Green Wood Coalition is thrilled to be presenting Shane Koyczan live in Port Hope, this summer. The beautiful and historic Port Hope United Church will echo with Koyczan's voice, backed by the musicians of The Short Story Long. Truly a remarkable and memorable evening for our community. Tickets are only $33 (plus applicable fees).

Shane Koyczan & The Short Story Long
Thursday, July 21, 7:30 PM
Port Hope United Church, Port Hope, ON

Tickets

Healing Through Art Hive

6/12/2022

“I can come to art group and they’re my family,
they know who I am, my struggles, my strengths, they know me.
Being in a group of people that I feel genuinely care about me is
sometimes just what I need in my week, because
sometimes that’s the only time when I feel I get that."
--Linzie Mark

Call them survivors. Linzie Mark, Dar Denis and Jenn Pridham are three members of Green Wood Art Hive who, finally this spring, returned to the weekly art sessions after two long years apart. In that time, all came to understand that the creativity and human connection the group nurtures are powerful forces in their lives they hope never to lose again. The women sat down to talk about what they missed, what returning means and how art heals.

Green Wood: What one word best describes the impact of art in your life and why?

Dar: LIFELINE. When I do my art it’s the only time I’m totally focused and the world goes away. There’s no problems, I’m focusing on my piece, it’s like a meditation to me. Art is my life on canvas.
Linzie: MAP. I actually have PTSD, and years ago I was not functioning, wouldn’t even leave my bedroom to go the bathroom... when I look back at some of the pieces I did in that time period, they’re a map, a true map to taking that trauma and processing it through my brain. As you lay them out years later you can see, wow, this is how I was feeling and this is how I processed these emotions at this time in my life.
Jenn: CELEBRATION. To me that’s the point and the purpose. Art becomes the celebration of what you’ve moved through, what you’ve gone through and, even if it’s for a moment, to come to the other side and be able to breathe some relief and have this piece to honour. Art is something to honour where you’ve come from and inspiration for where you’re going, because you’re leaving behind this trail of beauty.

Green Wood: What did it feel like not to have the group over the past two years?

Dar: I could see the difference in myself. Like the flow was gone. I started to do art during the pandemic because I knew it was going to help me, but I reached a point where I just stopped. I get stuck sometimes, and that’s not healthy for me.
Jenn: During the pandemic when there was no art group, I could see there was this basic need that wasn’t met any longer, like a starvation almost, like a creative starvation. I’ll quote this book, Women who Run with the Wolves, that talks about the creative life being like a river, and how it can become a drought, contaminated, damned, blocked, so to take care of that creative life is like the care of a river.
Linzie: When we don’t have art group it’s a barrier for sure. Some people in our group don’t have supplies, so especially during the pandemic when a lot of people where hurting financially, for them to have to reach out to find and buy supplies, it’s not a possibility for everybody.

Green Wood: Would you explain art as healing?

Linzie: For me art is about creativity, getting to understand different perspectives and different points of view and exploring within yourself -- do I like that in me, do I not like that in me? And maybe you have to disconnect from your own world, dive into your piece and really say goodbye to your world for that time you’re working on it, because you’re in a different world.
Jenn: These little seeds of ideas or the beginning of projects start, for me, in the pain. The nuggets of creativity start with something that is very raw and wordless and unclear and complex, and then when your hands get involved and materials and something concrete is accessible, that’s when it becomes the story that’s visible or audible. There’s something sharable there, something that is food for connection, not even in the finished product, but in the process of art.
Dar: Sometimes when I do art I feel angry, sometimes when I do art I cry, sometimes I just have to walk away and take a break, and say, okay, I’ll look at that later or tomorrow. To me it’s kind of like baring my soul, and I’m a very private person. I used to hide all my art, but that’s when I always hid myself.

Green Wood: What is the role of Art Hive in your life?

Linzie: Art group is my family. I don’t have a traditional family, and I can come to art group and I can be me, not somebody I think they want me to be. They know who I am, my struggles, my strengths. I go because I need that support emotionally. People don’t necessarily know they’re giving it, but just being in a group of people that I feel genuinely care about me is sometimes just what I need in my week, because sometimes that’s the only time when I feel I get that.
Dar: Other than my home it’s the safest place. I don’t feel judgment, I don’t feel any negative emotions. Not everyone’s perfect, we all have our issues, we all have our stories, but it’s always been a safe place.
Jenn: And then there’s the conversation within the group and the sharing between other members, other people who love art, do art... the conversations that occur encourage you that you’re not alone, and there’s this realizing that there are a lot of similarities, like experiences, common ground and connections. You come to realize it’s just this field of acceptance that’s possible.

“It’s kind of like a lifeline to me.
When I do my art it’s the only time that I’m
totally focused and the world goes away.”
-Dar Denis

Green Wood: What would you like to leave with people?

Dar: Your art doesn’t have to be great, it doesn’t even have to be good because you’re putting stuff inside yourself out there. I think we’re all good at stuff, and if you enjoy...that’s the main thing, taking some time out for yourself and having fun doing it.
Linzie: I hope people would feel comfortable enough to put aside any art ability they think they may or may not have. If there is somebody out there reading this who’s been struggling through the pandemic emotionally, mentally, physically, come be our friend. Even if it has nothing to do with the art, come see what we’re all about, get to know some of us, come be part of a community and, hey, if you learn an art skill along the way, perfect. If you make a new friend, even better. Because that, I think, is really what art group is all about.
Jenn: I‘ve had to come to terms with the limitations of time and lifestyle and how it’s not always possible to sit down and create something on a canvas from start to finish. So the journey of art for me has become more of the observer of the art that’s everywhere, the art of one breath, the art of the sights of nature, simply. And so I’ve taken a lot of the pressure off to complete anything and rather just be grateful for each moment. It’s not about perfection. It’s about intention and being a part of something meaningful.

Open Letter to Cobourg Community

6/12/2022

To our fellow community members,

Shelter in place. It’s the directive to seek safety indoors to avoid harm when an emergency strikes, usually associated with a major weather event or similar threat. Yet in Cobourg, and across Northumberland County, the emergency leaving folks desperately seeking shelter these days is the ongoing housing crisis.

This summer, while many folks choose to camp for recreation, others will camp for survival. Many have already spent cold, damp months in tents and vehicles, scattered and hidden throughout town, frequently forced to ...
[Please click here toe read the whole letter and sign, in solidarity with our neighbours]

Summer Solstice Garden Blessing

6/10/2022

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