Goodness Weekly 12.16.2024

"That's what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again."
- Walt Disney

What’s Good

We wonder, like many families of the staff here at the collective, if your house hasn't just been hit by the holiday spirit, but the cold and flu season as well? The ups and downs of the predictable “unseasonable” weather have many littles coming home with coughs, sniffles, and much worse.

Add this to the many reasons we are grateful for our friends in the health and wellness spaces of our community. During Second Saturday this weekend, we had produce and tinctures full of vitamins from Sunset Ridge Farmers Market. Kim with Nyx Wellness led a yoga flow in her on campus studio that morning, and Monica led a flow for children after that.

Growing together as a place of wholeness and healing in community makes the long days of repeated sickness a little more bearable.

A Thrill of Hope

Mae Czarnecki, Communications Coordinator, Sunset Ridge Collective

As I sit down to reflect on the closing of another year, my mind is drawn to the phrase from my favorite Christmas carol, “O Holy Night”: A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.

These words have taken on new resonance for me as I approach three years of independence as a woman navigating life post-divorce.

Independence has been both a challenge and a gift, one that I’ve grown into with the support of meaningful work and the strength of community. In this season of longer nights and darker days, I’m reminded that hope is not a passive feeling but an active choice—one that glimmers against the blackness.

Over the past year, my work with other local nonprofits has been a constant source of inspiration. Organizations like For Her and the H.E. Butt Foundation are not just addressing immediate needs but are also working to bridge systemic gaps that leave so many of our neighbors vulnerable. One story that stands out to me is a recent collaboration between these organizations, focusing on the benefits cliff—a complex issue that often traps families between poverty and self-sufficiency. The story on Founder, Kayla Carter, "Bridging the Benefits Cliff" highlights solutions Kayla has seen and established at For Her that empower women and families to move toward stability without fear of losing the support they still need. Reading this reminded me of the resilience that hope can foster, even in the face of daunting challenges.

This year, I’ve also had the privilege of participating in the H.E. Butt Foundation’s “Know Your Neighbor” program. This initiative has deeply inspired me to lean into the stories of the people around me—the teachers, entrepreneurs, dreamers, and doers who make up the vibrant community at the Sunset Ridge Collective in Terrell Heights. There’s a joy in discovering the connections and shared aspirations that unite us, even across diverse experiences. More often than not, this includes shared pain and healing. It’s in these stories that I see the light of hope refracted in countless, unexpected ways.

Christmas, Advent specifically, calls me, year after year, back to light—to the promise that even in the darkest nights, hope shines. At the Collective, we’re building spaces that nurture this promise, whether through daily work in our coworking space, partnerships with local ranchers and growers at the farmers market, or moments of reflection and celebration in Charis Park. We are telling the stories of our neighbors not as an exercise in nostalgia, but as a testament to the hope that flourishes when we see and celebrate each other.

As I allow myself to hope, I find myself drawn to telling the stories of others, lifting up voices that remind us of our shared humanity. In this season of giving, I encourage you to consider the ways hope might spur you into action—to bridge gaps, to know your neighbor, to light a candle in spite of the darkness. Together, we can illuminate our community, one story at a time.

Contact Mae

If you would like to be part of storytelling the families that live around Sunset Ridge Collective in Terrell Heights, I’d love for you to contact me. Next Year is going to be beautiful.

Coming Up…

Sunset Ridge Farmers Market - Every Saturday, 9-1
Christmas Eve Worship - December 24th
Betty’s Co, Women’s Mobile Health Clinic - Dec 26th,- Jan 2nd
Offices Closed Dec 25th-Jan 1st

Event Rentals - Charis Park areas, indoor rooms and event spaces are available for rent for 2025. Please email rentals@sunset-ridge.org for more information.

Community Partners: Please follow our Community Partners for updated schedules and events. One Another Coffee, NYX Wellness, Scott’s Pizza, Mission Compost, Good Acres, Betty’s Co, Community First Food Pantry, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Sprouts School.