As the holiday season draws to a close here at Fools Mission , we reflect on the old and dream of the new. Our consciousness-raising multicultural ministry has brought together young and old, rich and poor, citizens and immigrants, privileged and underprivileged. We build community among people who would otherwise be unlikely to get to know each other in a culture increasingly withdrawn into separate social circles. We continually surprise ourselves with the unexpected benefits and outcomes of our companionship, and most of us come away changed for the better by the experience.
Confidentiality sometimes prevents us from disclosing the real names publicly, but we’ll begin with some pithy quotes to help you make sense of our photo gallery.
Quotes from fools of every persuasion
Here are some comments that delighted us this year:
Dr. Astara Marcia of Global Music and Arts poses with her ukelele students at the final class of the six-session series at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City.
“We would like to thank you for adopting our family. You have been so nice to us. Thank you for teaching us how to play the ukulele, by the way that was very fun.”
–Lorena and her daughter Heralda“What I like about Fools Mission is that when we say we’ll do something—we do it!” –Maria
The September 2014 breakfast meeting of the Fools of the Round Table.
“What makes us Fools different is a commitment, still a work in progress, to make joint decisions, function democratically, and act together to assist one another in whatever ways we are able to. We empower each other to better deal with the ravages of an irrational, inhumane system… With every intervention or accompaniment, we learn from one another and grow stronger.” –Mike Carter
All Star fool Shawn Lewis cared for the children while parents dove into detail about their rights.
“Thank you for letting us do art and for helping our parents.” –Lila
“As a nation, we are allowing ourselves to turn toward feudalism. From fear of the “Other,” we spend our taxes on border security, armaments, and surveillance like serfs cowering inside the noble’s castle walls. Who are these “Others?” What is so frightening about them? I want to meet them myself. I want to find out whether we can find ways to live and work together, to rebuild a country where we all enjoy abundance, [where] we may live more varied, open, and fulfilled lives.” –Kaye Bonney
“Today was a day of VICTORY!! [Her Dad] and I came to an agreement. Unsupervised visits starting this Sunday. Thank you to all the fools that continue been a huge part on [my daughter’s] case. Thank you Eitan, David, Silvia, Helen, all the fools for your accompaniment, it’s means a lot I don’t feel alone.” –Victoria
“Thank you for being there for us, my friend.” –Ramon
“I feel enriched by the humanity of the people I work with in Fools Mission —people with whom, without Fools Mission , I would never have had the opportunity to really know. Conversely, what a gift it is to expose and demonstrate my own humanity to the same people!” –Eitan Fenson
