ASNYC Annual Appeal, Christmas 2020

Dear Friends,

This is the season when we usually write to you to consider making a financial contribution in support of the Branch. Every year we count on your support; this year more than ever because we did not escape the ravages of the pandemic. In asking for your support, we want to share with you our experiences and struggles and how we are facing them.

People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

2019 was a wonderful year for Anthroposophy NYC. Our building on 15th Street was sustaining itself through rental income from our two apartments and two office spaces. We had an additional small but steady revenue stream from leasing our meeting space to kindred groups when it wasn’t needed for our own programs, and from our popular bookstore. Programs and study groups flourished. We met many new people and gained new friends. 

Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.

Then, not long after the beginning of 2020, everything changed for us, just as it did for the City, the region, and the rest of the world. Most activity in the building ceased. Revenue streams dried up. Visits to the bookstore dropped precipitously. The meeting hall remained largely empty. We were fortunate that all of our tenants held on for many months, but in October, one of our office tenants gave up and had to move on, leaving us with yet another shortfall. Of course we are actively searching for a new tenant, which necessitates carrying out some basic maintenance projects while we search. We continue to make every necessary sacrifice to keep our building viable and sustainable for the future.

Birds, though you long have ceased to build,
Guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen
God for fledging time has chosen.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the bird, is on the way.

Thus at this moment in history, for as long as it takes, the role of the Branch as a place to convene, share, learn, and to provide an opportunity for transformation has changed. Forms that worked so well in the past have given way to new ways of keeping in touch and of working together. And while this may seem like a loss, many have found in it an opportunity to discover and test new ways of pursuing community. Our website provides access to information about activities that continue online, and blogs to help us stay connected. Meetings and study groups are continuing their work as best they can, online or with severely reduced maximum attendance as required by law. The ASNYC Council and our intrepid volunteers are co-creating a new vision to continue the work and mission of the Branch during the pandemic and beyond.

Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.

2020 continues to be an extraordinary, difficult, distressing, and also revelatory year; a time for working differently to forge new connections and strengthen the old. It appears that this state of the world will continue well into the first part of 2021, but that there is genuine hope for overall improvement later in the next year. We will carry on. This experience has helped us to understand our own resilience as well as to value more consciously the soul-strengthening insights and opportunities that our work here at Anthroposophy NYC brings. Without a doubt, living through this time of change has renewed and strengthened our conviction that Anthroposophy needs a strong, living, vital, welcoming presence in the world city of New York.

Angels, announce with shouts of mirth
Christ who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.

We are determined to continue to provide this space on 15th Street in Manhattan as a destination for meeting together, while continuing to grow our influence as a lodestar for residents and visitors alike. To hold this wonderful space for the future, we need your help.

Please consider being as generous as you are able when including Anthroposophy NYC in your end-of year giving plans. You can make a donation today online at anthroposophynyc.org, or via check by mail, payable to Anthroposophical Society in America New York Branch, Inc. Click here to download this letter as a printable PDF file.

We wish a safe, blessed Christmas and New Year to all. We’ll see you on 15th Street next year!

Gene Gollogly
President, Anthroposophy NYC Council

Walter Alexander
Vice President, Anthroposophy NYC Council

Anthroposophical Society in America New York Branch Inc. (aka Anthroposophy NYC and ASNYC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the U.S. law. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your generous financial donation.