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Winter Newsletter 2015

Greetings!

It’s been awhile since we sent out our last BWB Newsletter, and we’ve had a lot of changes in the world of Burners Without Borders since our last post.  This year we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of BWB’s inception as well as a major transitional year with BWB becoming a program of the Burning Man project.  Read more about the BWB Transition on the Burning Blog here:  http://bit.ly/1NcDjRz

In addition, Carmen Mauk, co-founder and Executive Director of BWB is passing the BWB leadership torch to Christopher Breedlove as BWB’s new Program Director. Christopher started on October 1st and has been working closely with Carmen to ensure the spirit and mission of BWB stays intact as Carmen moves onto other projects.

As a community leader in Chicago, Christopher Breedlove is known for creating dynamic, participatory civic programs. He has served as Board President of Burners Without Borders, as Regional Contact for Burning Man and as the Volunteer Coordinator and Arts Curator for the Lakes of Fire regional burn.  Professionally, Christopher has worked as a designer, fabricator and experiential producer.  To find out more about Christopher’s work, you can check out his website here:  http://www.mrbreedlove.com

BWB Impact Infographic 2005 - 2014

In April, Christopher Breedlove created a historical database of projects and awarded grants from BWB’s ten year history.  Using the data collected he created an infographic that highlights the disaster relief, community initiatives, and supported projects that have been happening around the globe.  Take a look and get a quick grasp of how BWB has been able to leverage this community's resources and talents over the years.

Volunteers Needed!

Throughout the year we like to keep you informed of special volunteer opportunities- here are positions we’re hoping to fill in 2016.  If you are interested please email:  breedlove@burningman.org

Wordpress Volunteer -
We are looking for a Wordpress guru to help keep the BWB website updated and bug free as well as help troubleshoot problems as they arise. If you have around 5-10 hours/month to offer, we would love to talk to you. Please send us an e-mail and tell us a bit about your Word Press experience.

Project Manager -
Do you have project management experience?  Are you interested in Design Thinking, Human Centered Design or being an interface between BWB & the greater design community?  We might have an exciting collaboration coming up in 2016 and are looking for someone who can help lead the charge.  Volunteering might take up to 2-4 hours/week.  Please send us an e-mail and tell us a bit about your experience & interest.

The BWB 128 Initiative Report Back

At Burning Man Global Leadership Conference (GLC) 2015 BWB launched the '128 Initiative' a project intended to serve as a foundation for creating a culture of ongoing engagement of BWB projects at the Regional Network level.  The challenge was for each to take up a BWB style project between the GLC and Black Rock City. 

We ended up receiving 21 projects, from 6 countries, and 11 states within the USA.  Collectively the projects engaged at least 1,981 people, which is a conservative number, as not all of our projects reported the number of people the projects impacted.  We highlighted these projects both at Burning Man in 'Everywhere' and after doing further follow-up and data collection we released a more in depth run-down on our website this past month.
(http://www.burnerswithoutborders.org/projects/the-bwb-128-initiative)

Please Support the New Lake County, CA, Tool Lending Library

BWB is spearheading an initiative to create a tool lending library in Middletown, CA following the Valley Fire that devastated the region. We are asking for your participation to make it a success. This tool library marks a significant shift in how BWB engages with disaster relief projects. By working with the community to create an enduring resource, BWB can use its expertise to empower local communities to build back stronger.

The public library in Middletown has agreed to loan out the donated tools, which will insure that tools are returned and kept in good working order.  Through a partnership with a community group, Valley Fire Phoenix Rising, a tool shed will be built behind the library out of alternative construction materials to house the tools and act as a sustainable building demonstration project for residents to learn from.

Your contribution of new tools will create a cherished communal resource that will enable those who have lost everything to start rebuilding their lives.
1.  Click on our Amazon.Com tool wish list
2.  Copy and Paste lakecountytoollibrary@gmail.com
3.  Choose a tool(s) you would like to buy from the list.

Regional BWB Updates:

BWB-Corpus Christi:
The Beachside Clean-up Project from BWB-Corpus Christi is an inspiring project combining civic action with Celebratory event.  Their mission is to remove all negative trace from the Kleberg County property by changing the culture of use to a sustainable state by hosting hybrid cleanup/celebration gatherings and imparting sustainable cultural values to the local populace by behavioral modeling and establishing a grassroots organization of folks to clean stuff up by welcoming the stranger.
Connect with BWB-Corpus Christi on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/662157823810955/

BWB-Seattle:
To share the holiday spirit with the less fortunate in our community, Burners Without Borders Seattle is hosting a Christmas party for the people served by the Aurora Commons on December 22nd. Come and join us in gifting these ladies brunch (complete with Bacon!) and gift bags with few creature comforts to ease their burdens one day out of the year for the holidays.
If you'd like to donate, please visit our campaign page at: http://bwbseattle.org/campaigns/christmas-celebration-at-aurora-commons/
Connect with BWB-Seattle here: https://www.facebook.com/bwbseattle/

BWB-Detroit:
Since 2008 the BWB-Detroit Backpack project has been an inspirational and replicable project lead by RC Danielle Kaltz.  They completed their annual volunteer backpacking day over thanksgiving weekend, packing over 430 backpacks for distribution on the streets.  The project has also continued to increase their capacity in fundraising which BWB/BMP is assisting in fiscally sponsoring.
There was a nice write up in the Detroit news about the project:  (http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/laura-berman/2015/11/25/backpack-project-shoulders-support-homeless/76402140/)
Connect with BWB-Detroit here:  https://www.facebook.com/BWBDetroit/

Consider Making a Year-end Donation to BWB

As we look to the future, we are thinking BIG.  Which means that even though we’re looking forward to the added support now that we’re a program of Burning Man Project, we still need YOU. 

Over the years, it has been your generous support and participation that has enabled this creative community to accomplish so much around the world. BWB has become known for helping real people solve real problems by daring to experiment, iterating quickly, and doing so in the harshest and most challenging environments. The unique gifts this community brings to the international stage is quickly transforming what people think is possible.

To continue doing this important work, we need your help. To donate to the continued success of BWB, click here. Any amount that you can give will go a long way in helping us to reach our goals.