Our New Group -- MBMS Natural Disaster Response Resource -- is a place to offer and ask for help

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Practicing Community:
A New Way to Engage and Embody Being Aware and Being Kind

Strong communities are made through relationships. Strong relationships are made through awareness and kindness. Awareness and kindness are cultivated in times of challenge and hardship -- and, these days, we have lots of these kinds of "mindfulness bells."

Here in California and throughout the Western US, we are experiencing severe drought and have entered fire season. In the global community, people and animals are dealing with floods, tornadoes, extreme temperature fluctuation, earthquakes, and wildfires.  

The MBMS Community has now expanded far beyond the Monterey Peninsula. Our opportunities to provide assistance, encouragement, and support have grown ... at a time when these foundational elements of community are needed more than ever before.

In response to this need, Katie and I have created a way for the MBMS Community to communicate directly with each other when there is a natural disaster occurring. A new Group inside our online community platform -- MBMS Natural Disaster Response Resource -- is a place where community members can offer and ask for help. The intention of the Group is to provide information, along with opportunities for connection and assistance, for community members who have been impacted by a natural disaster (wildfire, flood, earthquake), as well as those who would like to offer assistance and/or volunteer. 

Here's how the Group works:

Participation in this Group is primarily through posts and direct messaging.

Related to a natural disaster that you are facing, if you have:
-- A need or if you know of a need;
-- Something or a service to offer as assistance;
-- An announcement;
-- An update ...
Simply post your share or respond to an existing post. 

To access the Group, simply click on this link (you’ll be prompted to join our FREE online community if you’re not already a member).

Once you've connected with the Group, read the Featured Posts: "How to Engage with this Group" and "Release of Liability." Also Featured is a list of online Monterey County resources. Content will be monitored to ensure that it is appropriate for the focus of this Group and meets the MBMS Community Guidelines. 

Through the MBMS Natural Disaster Response Resource, we seek to embody the wisdom of Coretta Scott King who said, "The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."

Marianne Rowe