Post Fire Letter
By Marcela Xavier
By Marcela Xavier
On the night of Tuesday, January 3rd I was home working on Bread and Yoga’s monthly newsletter when an email came in from a friend who lived across from the studio telling me that the building was on fire. The days following were pretty much a blur. I can tell you it was heartbreaking to watch my beloved studio succumb to the smoke, water and eventually fire that night, and to realize that I had to prepare myself for a time of transformation.
The past couple of weeks have been a mix of grief for the past and hope for the future. Through the many calls, emails and posts I consistently received since the night of the fire, I’ve had the chance to celebrate the gifts that that beautiful space had given me and my community. Again, I am truly grateful for the outpouring of love during this time.
Immediately after the fire, our concern was to get the afterschool program up and running since we had almost 50 families that depended on our services daily. On Monday, January 9th we were back with the afterschool at Muscota New School on Broadway and 204th St.. Our gratitude goes to Principal Camille Wallin and our program director, Sasha Schwartz, for making this happen so fast.
Within 24 hours of the fire, my dear friends and musicians who often played at the studio, Dana Hanchard and David Ellenbogen, very quickly organized a fundraiser to help with this great loss. And we have lost everything in the fire (or at least almost!). Insurance will not come through for several months and there is so much needed to make it all happen again. Between the fundraiser at Le Cheile (Thanks to David Hollander for his generosity!) on Friday, January 6th and electronic funds made through the Bread and Yoga website PayPal button, we raised over $5000. I wish I could personally call or write each and every one of you who donated. I am so moved by the love and support. Please know I appreciate every penny you have donated and we have spent it mostly with payroll and supplies for our afterschool. We will still need help, both financial and hands-on, as we move to our temporary space and later, once we start working on a new “permanent” home. Please be in touch if you are available to help and volunteer. We will be sending an email out with more specific details soon.
We are thrilled to be able to announce that we have found a temporary space for our adult classes. We are very thankful to Holy Trinity Church for opening their doors to us and welcoming almost our full program into their beautiful space.We will start back tomorrow, Friday, Jan 20th with our 6:30 pm Restorative class with Ola Ahmad May, followed by Saturday 9:00am Vinyasa Open Level with Lisa Benner and 10:30am Anusara Open Level with Amy Soucy.
We will resume a new version of our regular schedule by Monday morning. Please check out our website for schedule updates and more info.
The best way to get updates is by following us on Facebook and Twitter. Please feel free to also post comments and ask questions. We hope to start a blog on our site where we will keep you updated on new developments as we progress in the search for a new space.
I can’t say enough of how surreal this experience has been. From witnessing the fire to grieving the loss, to taking in the community’s reaction, to finding the strength to take action and move forward. Those who know me know how invested I was in making the studio happen and thrive since 2009 when we first opened. When I took on that space I counted on the help of a few very special people in my life, both family and friends, to make my vision come true. Now, in this rebirth process, I feel very blessed to have helped build a strong community that will be there to make a new vision happen again.
With much love and gratitude,
Marcela Xavier-Founder/Director
