Community Resilience

Cultural Healing Circles

Opportunities for expression. Opportunities to heal.

Healing circles are a form of interaction and communication that is deeply rooted in traditional practices of indigenous peoples. They foster opportunities for individuals to express themselves in community, often with a focus on addressing a specific problem or concern. As such, healing circles are powerful experiences of both expression and listening that can lead to transformation and the healing of hurt or division.

At the Multicultural Center of Marin, we support cultural healing circles as a means of developing greater self-care and empowerment among the youth in our community. With the support of bilingual and bicultural staff, we lead young people through these experiences during the school year at Marin County School. Activities include developing and practicing self-care and regulation skills such as mindfulness, meditation, drumming, and yoga. Our workshops and cultural healing circles encourage youth to connect to the natural environment

Marin Rapid Response Network

Mobilizing community support for immigrants.

Under the federal government’s new deportation guidelines, virtually all undocumented people can be deported, no matter how long they have lived here or whether they have children or family members who are U.S. citizens. Across California, many counties have set up hotlines and volunteer networks to protect immigrants’ rights.

At the Multicultural Center of Marin, we care deeply about the rights and safety of immigrants in our communities.

We are the lead agency for the Marin Rapid Response Network (MRRN) to safeguard the civil rights of Marin community members targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and will mobilize immediate support for detainees and their families.

The MRRN operates as a 24-hour countywide hotline that local residents can contact when they see or experience an ICE raid. The hotline is staffed by a fully bilingual dispatcher who sends volunteer observers immediately to verify reported events, collect information, and observe whether any civil rights violations take place. Information collected is used to mobilize immediate help when needed and can also support detainees’ legal cases.

Hotline – 415.991.4545 or visit the Marin Rapid Response Network website.

Canal Community Resilience Council

Deep democracy. Sustainable change.

MCM convenes a monthly meeting, as well as periodic forums, to ensure San Rafael’s Canal residents’ voices are included in decisions that affect them. Meetings are attended by community residents as well as representatives from local governments and public institutions to discuss issues that affect the Canal, such as housing, climate change, water systems, safety, emergency preparedness, and more.

We invite you to join us every third Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 pmConnection Center at 3240 Kerner Blvd, San Rafael

For more information or to register to attend a meeting, please contact Marco Berger with the form below.

Canal Community Resilience Council Information

Food Distribution

Making sure nobody goes hungry.

Food is sustenance. And many of our community members, especially those immigrating into Marin from other countries, are struggling with food insecurity. As they seek to gain stronger footing in their new home, providing for this most basic necessity can be a challenge.

We believe that no member of our community should go hungry and that we must work together to end hunger in Marin County. In collaboration with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, we run a Farm Stand/Produce Food Distribution initiative to provide fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables and whole grains to Marin community residents.