Transformative Living Community, International (TLC, Int'l) is a body of engaged citizens rooted in faith. We serve to support justice, equity, healing & wellness by facilitating growth and development of people, their strengths, and their relationships with each other and the natural world. We offer affordable opportunities to enhance wellness through transformative education, creative expression and nature appreciation. We are strengthening the power of engaged citizenship to improve the human condition.
Transformative Living Community, International welcomes citizens of the world who are committed to living creative, healthy, and sustainable lives. TLC, Int'l will manage its facilities as stewards with respect for the natural and cultural environment in which it operates. We will be equitable and inclusive in offering space conducive for revitalization of the human capacity to heal from trauma, thrive through struggle, and create transformative solutions for every day challenges. Active TLC citizens will be equipped and inspired to better live and serve as conscientious leaders in their respective communities.
PAST: TLC, Int'l was conceived in the late spring of 1998. We had our first pilot retreat in 2017. We became a legal entity in October, 2018 and gained non-profit status in May, 2019. That summer, the logo was created by a local artist in Portland, OR. Our first grant was awarded in the fall, 2019. The home for community living and art studio was purchased in February, 2020 and launched the business in March. We completed the studio in November and it is now available for private use for emerging artists.
PRESENT: Since opening in March of 2020 we have provided healthy, livable space for 15 adults and five children. In June, 2021 we were approved for changes in planning to upgrade programming to better manage COVID safety requirements. We currently offer in person & online life-long learning opportunties open to all, and grant supported retreats for BIPOC. Developing funding resources to support programs that allow us to meet the needs of our target audiences is on-going.
FUTURE: With approved funds we will provide a creative arts & nature wellness program that aligns with our mission and vision to: 1) provide alternative wellness to vulnerable communities, 2) support BIPOC artists, educators and human service providers, and 3) further develop our retreats to meet demands for greater access to rest and restoration in communities of color.
She sat on the front deck of her grandfather's cabin overlooking the Rogue River. This was the place that always made her feel safe. No matter what she was going through, the cabin was a home base to relax, relate and release. But mostly, it was the one place where she could just be.
The twenty-something came to the cabin to retreat from the world and reflect, contemplate her purpose. Find an answer to the question: "What's next?"
She was celebrating -
academic achievements
crossing boundaries
new understandings about herself
the world in which she lived
the politics of her own skin.
She was mourning -
sexual objectification
racial trauma
domestic violence
abandonment.
Discerning -
she'd never be Barbie and all that childhood play pretending to have a plastic life was a complete waste of time and imagination. Her soul craved more.
She'd have to improvise next steps, throw caution to the wind. Go bold or go home which wasn't an option. Mother had said, "You're on your own."
But she wasn't.
There was a higher plan.
So she spent her days by the river
reading
writing
appreciating nature
creating art.
And she thought about the privilege to stop and be still, to have time to heal, to tap into the power of creation. "Everyone should be able to do this." The liberty to "just be" was awe-inspiring. In a just and equitable society, such freedom should be available to everybody.
By the end of her retreat, she determined her own healing could be nurtured by helping others heal through reading, writing, reflecting, connecting, appreciating nature and creating art. She wasn't sure how, but she knew it started with education and was clear that healing and growth could only happen in a safe, easily accessible space to learn, heal and grow.
For the next twenty-five years she explored possibilities while dedicating herself to education, both as a life long learner and as a facilitator of learning. She developed an international career in the field in a variety of roles, each growing her gifts in teaching, program management, and DEI work. Nature and the creative arts were the tools that kept her sane as she hustled along the way, strengthened by faith, keeping one verse on replay: all things work together for good. As she went about her mission, she met others with the same passions. In partnership, they developed a plan to birth Transformative Living Community, International. (TLC, Int'l)
Can you help heal?
Do you have a Rogue soul?
Are you ready to create?
Want to learn and grow?
If you are aligned with
creative arts
nature
transformative education
faith and hope
equity and justice
healing and growth
we invite your participation!
President, CEO
Mother/Artist/Writer/Facilitator of Learning
Vice President
Sister/Daughter/Wife/Counselor/Educator/Advocate
Mother/Activist/Educator/Organizer/Program Manager
Communicator/Designer/Researcher/Support Specialist
Copyright © 2019 TLC, Int'l
All Rights Reserved.
sanctuary@healgrow.org