Beloved Communities Network

08/27/2026

We got a shoutout on KPFA!

While talking about Camp Bruce Lee, Shannon Lee gave some love to Beloved Communities Network and the partners who helped bring the camp to Oakland. We were honored to be part of such a special experience for local young people!

Hear the conversation and BCN shoutout around 26:33:
https://kpfa.org/episode/our-world-as-we-see-it-august-19-2026/

And revisit our story from Camp Bruce Lee:
https://belovedcommunitiesnetwork.org/bruce-lee-camp-comes-to-oakland/

The Summer Teacher Takeover Series Continues. This weeks special guest is Author Shannon Lee, Founder of 'The Bruce Lee Foundation'. Dr. Thompson talks with Shannon about legacy, Bruce Lee's philosophy, her new book 'Mark of the Warrior' and The Bruce Lee Foundation.

08/25/2026

Harvest Fest is coming!

Join Tandi Family Farms + Beloved Communities Network on Wednesday, October 7 for Harvest Fest: A Sunset Cocktail Fundraiser at Evergreen Nursery.

Spend an autumn evening with us enjoying live music, seasonal food from our gardens, cocktails, interactive experiences, and community while supporting an important goal: raising $50,000 to advance food justice and expand access to fresh, locally grown food.

Funds raised will support two growing Oakland initiatives: the Beloved Community Garden and Tandi Family Farms’ Victory Garden Project, helping us grow more food, create more gardens, provide educational programming, and bring neighbors together.

Come sip, taste, celebrate, and help us grow something beautiful together.

Tickets start at $50. Space is limited, so reserve yours today:
https://paybee.io/@2

08/17/2026

Cantaloupe 🍈 the garden rewarded our hard work with a little snack 😋

08/17/2026

After months of gathering virtually, the 2026 Beloved Community Cohort came together in person this July for four days at Westerbeke Ranch.

Participants, mentors, advisors, and facilitators shared space for reflection, movement, learning, rest, honest conversation, and deeper relationship-building.

The retreat was an opportunity to practice what the Cohort has been exploring throughout its 10-month journey: belonging, healing, embodied leadership, navigating difference, and building the kinds of relationships that make Beloved Community possible.

Because Beloved Community isn't only something we imagine for the future. It's something we practice together now.

Read more about the retreat and the 2026 Cohort on our blog: https://belovedcommunitiesnetwork.org/coming-together-the-2026-beloved-community-cohort-retreat/

08/15/2026

On August 2, the Beloved Community Garden welcomed Tandi Family Farms’ 2026 Victory Garden Bus Tour, bringing together growers, neighbors, organizers, and community members from across Oakland and San Leandro.

Since February, more than 50 volunteers have helped transform the 47th Avenue garden into a thriving community space that has already harvested and distributed more than 800 pounds of fresh produce.

And the vision keeps growing. Together with Tandi Family Farms we’re developing the site into an Anchor Farm and Community Food Resilience Hub rooted in food sovereignty, shared learning, and collective stewardship.

Read more about the garden, the tour, and what we’re building together: https://belovedcommunitiesnetwork.org/beloved-community-garden-welcomes-tandi-family-farms-2026-victory-garden-bus-tour/

08/13/2026

What an incredible week at Camp Bruce Lee!

This July, teenagers from across Alameda County came together in Oakland for a week of martial arts, creativity, storytelling, and community inspired by Bruce Lee’s life and philosophy.

From Kung Fu and Capoeira to sneaker design with SoleSpace Lab, campers explored courage, belonging, self-expression, and connection. A special highlight was welcoming Shannon Lee, who shared stories about her father, led a calligraphy workshop, and joined the youth for a Q&A.

Camp Bruce Lee brought Bruce Lee’s philosophy together with BCN’s Elements of Beloved Community to create a truly special experience for young people.

Read the full story and see more from the week on our blog: https://belovedcommunitiesnetwork.org/bruce-lee-camp-comes-to-oakland/

07/29/2026

Another successful garden day in the Beloved 47th Ave garden! We harvested over 13lbs of tomatoes and over 23lbs of cucumbers. We also had over 11lbs of our onions dried and ready and our first batch of potatoes 🥔 this harvest went straight to the chefs making food for the Victory Garden bus tour this Sunday.

We are out in the garden every Wednesday morning from 9:30-11:30am. Join us! And if that day/time doesn’t work for you drop a time that would work in the comments!

06/24/2026

Volunteers Needed at the Beloved Community Garden

RSVP here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecfst_ULcMpX9XWMY6wqWluDVSv3CYEuVEX7otiVUxFRnhNg/viewform

Join us on Saturday, June 27 for a morning of growing food, caring for our neighborhood, and building community together.

Over the past few months, volunteers have helped us harvest more than 100 pounds of fresh produce that has been shared with neighbors through community and faith-based partners. Now we're preparing for the next season of growth, and we'd love your help.

Saturday, June 27 | 9:00 AM – Volunteer Projects | 1:00 PM – Community Meal | 47th Ave Beloved Community Garden

We'll be weeding, harvesting, painting, and working on a few garden improvement projects. No experience necessary.

Come get your hands dirty, meet your neighbors, and help grow something beautiful.

06/05/2026

Facing In is a growing community of facilitators, healers, ritualists, and practitioners who are coming together to deepen their work, support one another, and explore what becomes possible through collective practice.

Over the past year, the community has been taking shape through conversation, relationship-building, and collaboration. What began as an idea is now emerging as a space where people who spend their lives caring for others can connect, learn, and grow alongside peers who share a similar commitment.

Beloved Communities Network is honored to serve as Facing In's incubator as the project continues to evolve. We're grateful to be in community with Facing In and the many practitioners helping bring this work to life.

Learn more: facingin.org

We support communities and individuals in transforming harm, division, and trauma into healing, connection, and collective liberation Our Work Our Community Our Events Let’s stay connected! Learn more

06/03/2026

A new mural is coming to Courtland Creek Park.

The Melrose Mural Project is a community-led effort to transform a large wall in the park into a public artwork shaped by and for the neighborhood. The project has already received City approval and will be led by artists David Burke and Pancho Pescador.

One of the things we love most about this project is how many different threads of community life it brings together. A children's book featuring Freddy the Octopus, inspired by the mural at the Melrose Community Garden, is helping support fundraising efforts while giving neighbors a shared story to rally around.

Beloved Communities Network is proud to serve as the project's fiscal sponsor and incubator, helping support fundraising, partnerships, and long-term sustainability as the project works toward its $65,000 fundraising goal.

Learn more about the project and the Melrose Neighborhood Council at melrose27xneighborhoodcouncil.com.

ROOTED IN OAKLAND * ROOTED IN OAKLAND * Ammbush Boomrang Principal (DaVinci Ft. Ginger) Zumbi facing up into the sky. Artist: Hungry Ghost Studio (David Burke), Peskador, Joevic Yeban Photographer: It takes inclusion, unity, and teamwork from the neighborhood to thrive! Join the Commu...