Santa Cruz Area Radical Faeries

Hi All, I'm forwarding this along to the list. Elena as been a sweet and generous hostess for us, including living our no-one-turned-away-for-lack-of-funds gathering policy by waiving/taking what we could offer for per-person charges when folks were on tight budgets. (As a gathering organizer I try to avoid asking this, but it has happened).

Hugs
Kwai

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Dear family, friends, and friends of friends,

I am writing this letter to you on behalf of my sister, Elena Rauen. Please take a few minutes to read her story.

Several years ago, Elena purchased “WindTree” along the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains overlooking Monterey Bay in Northern California. WindTree is a private retreat center where Elena began manifesting her dream to create a secluded, natural space for community gatherings, workshops, retreats and events. For the last several years, Elena has tirelessly worked on the land, restoring the guest cabins, clearing brush, maintaining walking paths, gardens and sacred healing spaces in order to provide a unique and nurturing sanctuary for people committed to world peace, ecology and sustainability, health and well being, and personal growth.  

As many of you may or may not be aware, the wild fires that broke out in the Santa Cruz mountains at the beginning of summer destroyed her beautiful WindTree property. Although fire crews managed to save Elena’s main residence along with several other cabins, seven structures were lost, in addition to leaving 95% of her 64 acres of land severely burned. What was once a breathtaking setting comprised of meandering paths amongst Madrone, Pine, Oak and Manzanita with sweeping views of Monterey Bay, is now a charred and devastated wasteland.

Those of you who know Elena are aware that she has dedicated her entire life to helping others, often at consequential sacrifices to herself. And on the morning of the Summit Fire, watching her land and cabins engulfed in flames, she didn’t run in to gather valuables or precious photos. True to her nature, she left her property to come to the immediate aid of other fire victims, getting her neighbor’s child and pets to safety. At first, she was told she had lost everything. Later that evening she was filled with immense gratitude for the firefighters who risked their lives to save all they could of her property. She is incredibly blessed and grateful to have a home to go back to, but no longer any means to support her in the coming months, even years, before WindTree can be a thriving retreat center again. And yet, in the face of her personal loss, Elena continues to outpour her magnanimous generosity to her community. Since the fire, she has continuously provided shelter, food, water and clothing to her neighbors on a daily bases. WindTree has become a staging area for family groups, churches and outreach workers who are coordinating relief efforts along with Elena for the numerous fire victims in the area.

Elena’s passion and vision for WindTree and her single source of livelihood has come to a virtual halt and she urgently needs our help.

Some years ago, Elena was severely injured in two separate accidents that resulted in excruciating and chronic neck, back and nerve damage that at times has been debilitating to the point that she could not even walk and often needed the assistance of a wheelchair, walker or cane. Recently, she had a long overdue and much needed emergency surgery on her lower back which was hugely successful but has left her deep in medical debt in the tens of thousands of dollars. As a single mother, struggling to make ends meet and pay down her exorbitant medical bills while supporting her son, Julian, through college, this recent turn of events has been crushing.

Consider that Elena is the personification of charity and selflessness, an extraordinary human being who time after time puts the needs of others before her own. Please join us in giving back to Elena in her extreme time of hardship.

What you may not know about Elena is that for over 30 years, she has been an active and vital member of Los Niños in Tijuana, Mexico helping to create opportunities for children and their families to realize their human potential through participation in the development of their communities. She began her work with Los Niños early in high school raising money by walking from Santa Barbara to the Mexican boarder for 25 years up until her first accident when she could no longer walk the distance but continues to participate in other valuable ways. Elena also served for several years as the Executive Director of Amigos de El Salvador, a non-profit outreach organization for Salvadorian refugees. In addition to the incredible volunteer work she has done for Los Niños and Amigos de El Salvador, Elena lived and worked on Skid Row in her late teens in downtown Los Angeles serving the daily needs of the homeless. Throughout her life she has continually given refuge to friends, family, even strangers, in times of despair and need. She has lovingly cared for the disabled, the elderly, the sick, the poor and victims of violence and domestic abuse.

Prior to her accidents which ultimately left her unable to work, Elena was a bilingual kindergarten teacher in Santa Cruz. Her amazing ability to connect with and teach children is awe inspiring. Children are drawn to Elena for she is a beacon of caring, compassion and gentleness. Although no longer working in the school system, Elena continues to reach out to children, teaching them about peace and sustainability, recognizing that they are the future guardians of our precious earth. For many years, Elena has participated in the Jane Addams Peace Camp, a one-week summer day camp where, through games, crafts, music, and drama, children learn about community building, peace keeping skills, and care for the environment.

Clearly, Elena is a true humanitarian, an activist for social justice, human rights and equality, world peace, and the environment. It doesn’t seem fair that someone who does so much for the good of the human race and the well being of our planet would have to suffer such overwhelming physical pain and disabilities, severe financial hardship and then lose the one thing that brings her the greatest joy, inspiration and purpose in life.

Your tax deductible donation to assist Elena in putting the pieces of her life back together, rebuilding WindTree and replanting her surrounding forest will make a tremendous difference, not only in Elena and Julian’s life, but in the lives of everyone Elena continues to reach out to. Thank you for taking the time to read this message and for giving back to my dear sister who has touched the lives and hearts of so many others. We are grateful for any amount you feel inspired to give and your donation is forever and greatly appreciated.

With hope, love and enormous gratitude,
 
Tricia Rauen Evenson

                    Please make checks out to:
                   The Sanctuary of Gaia
                   
                    Mail to:
                   Elena Rauen
                    31440 Loma Prieta Way
                    Los Gatos, CA  95033
                  
                    Reference on bottom of check:
                   WindTree Fire Relief Fund

PS.  
We appreciate you forwarding this letter on to others you may feel can additionally help. Thank you.