#blacklivesmatter

Dear Community,

The Project Avary Family stands heart to heart with our Black brothers and sisters during this moment of national tragedy and mourning. We dearly hope that this may be a moment of collective awakening, healing, and unrelenting action towards creating a more just and caring culture for all. 

Our hearts go out to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the many, many others who have unjustly lost their lives due to the hate and racism that is sadly part of our national fabric. We pray that this moment of reckoning is an opportunity for more people to witness and take responsibility for the depths of racism and hate that still exist within our culture.

At Project Avary we strive to create a culture where our youth feel loved and cared for, where they know they deeply matter, and where they are surrounded by a community of adults who see and honor their nobility and their highest potential. This should be the birthright of every child, as when a child is given this kind of welcome, then they are free to reach for the stars without the oppression of prejudice holding them back. 

Right now we live in a society where there is not enough welcome or safety for Black children. We each have a responsibility and a part to play in this work of bringing more care and love into this world. As one of our Teen Leaders recently told me, “when Black lives matter, then and only then can we say that all lives really matter”. 

We have a lot of work to do to ensure that all children, Black and Brown children especially, feel honored, and welcomed, and free to be just as they are. We need your help in this work, and we ask that you join with us. 

This is a time for everyone to participate. All of us can find ways to make a difference to bring more welcome into this world, whether it is an inner change of heart, mentoring a youth, donating and investing in the future of Black children, or taking part in protest. We each will be called in our own unique way, it is only important that we each find the courage to step forward and in solidarity with our Black community members. 

May we now take this step together.

Sending you all much Avary love,

Zachary Whelan

Executive Director, Project Avary