“Community threads woven into the fabric.”

Tuesday November 28, 2023
From the messy desk of Amanda Eichstaedt…

Visualize this…

Brrr, an icy Olema full moon morning.  photo: AE

Ever lament when your favorite jeans get a hole in them? Or when those socks that you really like (and are no longer produced) are worn and your toe pokes through? I think the word is threadbare. 

A lot of what we wear is woven and has threads that weave in different directions to create a solid piece of cloth. I often think about local nonprofit organizations as the interlacing threads that create what we know of as West Marin. As an unincorporated area we rely heavily on 501c3 organizations to provide vital services.

Many of these organizations have been around for a long time and were started when folks looked around and said…”Hey, we need a place for our little kids to learn!” or “We could sure use a community health clinic out here.” or “What would it take to help seniors live in their homes longer with local services?” Even, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had our own FM radio station?”

Community centers, environmental stewardship organizations, land trusts, museums, child and elder care organization, and food banks, to name a few. Ponder for a moment the nonprofits that make up the fabric of your existence in West Marin. 

My hat is off to all of those who put in the hard work to create all of these vital organizations. Pull together a board of directors, draft the articles of incorporation and bylaws, hire an executive director and help to keep the organization healthy over all these years. Running a nonprofit is a lot of work with relatively low pay, but the folks who work at all of our nonprofits are dedicated.

Here is where you come in. Think back to the nonprofits that have been integral to your West Marin experience during your time here and thank them for their work. It’s Giving Tuesday and your monetary support, regardless of size means a great deal to all of these organizations. And that little note you write with your check or when you donate online means SO MUCH to the folks doing the work. Trust me.

Perhaps one of the things, other than the amazing natural beauty, that drew you to West Marin, or kept you here is the sense of community and the vital services that the nonprofit sector keeps thriving. I think of it as the fabric of our community. We don’t want to live in a threadbare place, darn it.

It is on all of us to participate, even if it’s just a few bucks spread around. And for those of you who work at nonprofits, serve on boards, or have ever done so. Thank you.

Amanda Eichstaedt
Station Manager/Executive Director

p.s. Daylight is burning on your ability to order from the KWMR store and get your items in time for holiday giving. December 1 is the deadline.