Contrary to traditional paths to friendship, one of my most cherished started with a phone call to the Marin Magazine office in 2008. “Who are you?” said the voice on the other end. Brushing aside that pesky imposter syndrome feeling and regretting picking up the phone, I repeated, “You called me, and my name is Mimi.” “No,” continued the voice, ”I mean we know so many people in Hawaii in common and why don’t I know you?”
Sixteen years later, Barbara is my favorite breakfast date, we meet at either Bayside Cafe or Poggio, and she hands over a pile of newspaper clippings and indirect directives on who Marin Magazine might want to highlight. We are often interrupted by people stopping by to bend her ear on a project they are working on.
Here in Marin, her projects revolve around equity and poetry. However, when the Hokulea, a canoe traveling around the world and stopping in San Francisco, showed up in the fall of 2023, she put me to work to benefit the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Together (with others) we planned a heartfelt welcome at the Sausalito Yacht Club for the crew and an event for all interested in Hawaiian culture. Jokingly I like to say I’m her hānai b* which loosely translates as “an adopted task doer.” We aren’t family by blood, but for some reason, I feel honored to carry out whatever assignment she tosses my way.
I think about her as I sit down to write this letter and consider the hundreds of Barbaras — our neighbors, family and friends who make a difference in our community. As you’ll read in The State of Giving Back, as of July of this year, Marin County has the highest charitable county index in California. In other words, our county is full of both givers and doers. For instance, for those of us who love nature, we can thank the team in Tiburon who have been working for over 30 years to secure Old Saint Hilary’s open space for all to enjoy — 110 acres of hiking trails with world-class views. There are couples like Riley and Ashley Hurd, who not only head up Marin Foster Care’s fundraising efforts but are also foster parents and know how to throw a really lovely party.
I was the guest of the Cressman family, who sponsored two tables of enthusiastic bidders, at their annual Blues & Brews. Thanks to emcee Liam Mayclem’s wily way with words, over $450,000 was raised to support the 90+ kids in care at any given time in Marin. The weekend prior, I was at Cheryl Popp’s table at Marin Humane’s Tails by Twilight. I’ve met Cheryl through the years in her roles in various Sausalito-based organizations. These are just two examples of the events our team shows up to and supports.
On any given day, you’ll see people from our team including Nikki Wood, Lesley Cesare or Sharon Coleman out and about. If you’re looking for a group to support, we’ve got you covered. You’ll see this in our 15th annual Marin Gives Back feature, which is basically a guide to how our local nonprofits can benefit from donations from $50 on up to $10,000.
Speaking of picking up the phone, I came across a study published in Psychology Today that cited a new study shows something so obvious, but wonderfully simple and meaningful during the holidays. Proactively contacting a friend and engaging in a quality social interaction is associated with an immediate meaningful boost in mood (I think they forgot to mention as long as you skip the topics of religion and politics).
On behalf of our team here at Marin Magazine (270 Media) we wish you a Happy Holiday season.
See Our Latest Issue Here:
