Arroyo Enchantment

Pasadena is an extraordinary community in many ways. Nestled in the foothills, Pasadena has provided a refuge from the hassle of Los Angeles from its very beginning. You get a sense of its allure from the top of the arroyo looking down to the city in the distance. Lining the arroyo canyon are wonderful wooded hills dotted with beautiful estates. It was at such an estate that the annual H100 Farm to Table event celebrated its third anniversary.

From the citrus and Zen gardens to the infinity pool overlooking the arroyo, two long family-style tables were adorned with simple, lemon bouquets waiting to welcome guests. Set at the home of Mark and Phaedra Ledbetter, the grounds of this magnificent estate illustrated the volunteer group’s philosophy of providing the dinner guests with an evening that supported a food culture made up of fresh, locally grown, seasonal items. 

Alexandra Poer Sheridan of Alexandra's Table created a feast incorporating many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs available to her from the estate’s garden, as well as sourcing local ranches for fresh, grass fed meats.  During the cocktail hour, hands passed hors d’oeuvres were paired with refreshing libations.

Aside from being an extraordinary event in a magnificent setting, it was an opportunity for us to, once again, share with our supporters Hillsides’ compelling mission. Jay Bechtol, director of Hillsides Education Center, addressed the challenges of providing much needed, but woefully funded, individualized educational services to children and youth who have been significantly traumatized. In spite of the challenges, our successful interventions have made such a difference in the lives of the students served at the education center, allowing them to achieve academically, improve their behaviors and return confidently to their local schools. These interventions have allowed these students to, once again, take their place within their homes after years of feeling alienated and marginalized.

Phaedra Ledbetter summed it up best when she encouraged those in attendance to share from their bounty to support Hillsides’ efforts to provide a bountiful future for all we serve.

We thank the Ledbetters for their great hospitality and we are grateful indeed for all those who joined us for this enchanted event and made it possible. This is yet another example of many who join with us as we walk along with those we serve on a path to a fuller life. Get more information about our service initiatives and how you can help us together on the path.

Photo credit: Dana Pepper Bouton

Back to the Earth

Having grown up in New England, when I first moved to California I missed the changing of the seasons. However, after fifteen years in the Golden State, I’ve become accustomed to the subtle changes that mark the seasons, noticing the movement from cold and rainy season to the invigorating air of spring that brings with it the aromas of new life budding. There is something therapeutic about the rhythm of the seasons and it is important to utilize this natural movement in addressing the needs of the children and youth we serve.

This past week a handful of our residents, led by Art Director Kim Ha and staff, accompanied by wonderful volunteers from our H100 group, joined forces with the Armory Center for theArts to build the FARMory, an educational garden. They cleared a vacant lot in Pasadena to begin the process of transforming it from a derelict parcel to an urban garden that will provide fruits, vegetables and flowers. What a great exercise to celebrate the beginning of spring, filling all involved with the hope of seeing their efforts yield much benefit.

This is such an important activity for those we serve. Often consumed by their own hurts, they fail to appreciate what they can do to make a difference. Preoccupied with concerns that are burdensome, this activity offers the kind of distraction that allows these young people to learn how they can channel their energy to transform what was abandoned. Surrounded by extraordinarily generous and selfless people, they learn, by their example, that they are part of a community that values them.

Springtime is about transformation and this wonderful opportunity was indeed transformative for all involved. Their efforts will bring about new life. The results will far exceed the harvest of this once abandoned parcel of land.

For many of us, this week is a time of religious celebrations recalling our own efforts to be transformed in heart and spirit to lead fuller lives. In our own way at Hillsides, we join with all who cherish this great season of new birth, confident that our many efforts to transform the lives of those we serve will lead to a new life for them filled with hope.

Happy Easter and a Blessed Passover!