It’s been almost one year since we at Berkeley Patients Group launched our $1 Million For Good initiative in celebration of our 20th-anniversary.

Since then, we’ve raised awareness and funds for ten nonprofits making measurable impacts in the lives of our community members.

Now, more than ever, we are driven by our mission and belief that cannabis can be a force for good. This month, La Peña Cultural Center needs our help.

La Peña is celebrating its 45th year in the midst of nationwide mobilizations against oppression and a worldwide pandemic, which have magnified existing inequities in our society.

We believe that this historic moment can serve as a catalyst for creating a more just and equitable world and La Peña is in a strong position to play a key role in movement-building today.

La Peña is taking its mission further by launching new online programs, resource pages, and more. 

To enter this new digital frontier, they need to raise $45,000 to fund new programs and broaden their impact more than ever before. As of September 1, they are a little more than halfway to their goal.

La Peña still needs $21,667 to continue their work through:

Online Classes – Free introductory classes to some of La Peña’s long-standing cultural art forms in English and Spanish. This program will also support their teaching artists and cultural bearers financially and with exposure.

Social Justice Dialogues – Conversations will help educate and bring together our communities in solidarity with grassroots and national networks for social change. Dialogues will range in topics from civic engagement to artist talks.

Artist Sponsorships – To compensate for lost work, La Peña will sponsor artists to live stream performances. They’ve also created a digital resource center that highlights the work of creatives impacted by the ripple effects of COVID-19.

How You Can Help

Donate directly to La Peña at LaPena.org/donate.

Add a $1 Donation, $5 Donation, or $10 Donation to La Peña when you shop at Berkeley Patients Group. You can also round up your payment and donate your spare change.

Start a Facebook fundraiser for La Peña. Step-by-step instructions here.

Follow La Peña on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and Sign Up for their Newsletter.

La Peña is in need of administrative and event support, graphic designers and photographers during this critical time. Learn more and donate your time as a volunteer today.

Next time you shop at Amazon.com, use this link and make sure La Peña is your charity of choice.

Here’s a full list of low-to-no-cost ways you can give back to La Peña.

A History as Vibrant as its Culture

La Peña was started by a group of Latinos/as and North Americans as a response to the military coup in Chile that overthrew the democratically elected socialist government of Dr. Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973.

La Peña is a vibrant non-profit community cultural center with a global vision that has promoted social justice, arts participation, and intercultural understanding since opening its doors in 1975.

As an internationally recognized gathering place, they keep cultures alive through community events, performances, and classes rooted in Latin American cultural traditions and beyond. 

Today their focus is on supporting their new 21st century cohorts of leaders in arts activism in one of the most racially and ethnically diverse metropolitan areas in the United States.

Still Driving Social Justice

La Peña’s mission is to encourage creativity, promote dialogue, share knowledge, and build community capacity for social and economic change. La Peña’s educational philosophy stems from the cultural and political traditions of its founding: interconnectedness among cultures, cooperative efforts, arts expressions, and solidarity among communities.

Their distinctive programming brings together community leaders, educators, and activists, as well as teaching artists, professional and student musicians, dancers, poets, and muralists to participate in indigenous “roots art” forms from the Americas and the African diaspora.

Their activities contribute to building civic engagement in a democratic society. In their work, La Peña Cultural Center practices the egalitarian and collective practices that they hope will build a more just society in the future.

Shop at Berkeley Patients Group in September to support our friends at La Peña! At checkout, you can add a donation of $1, $5, or $10 through our online menu. Donations are tax-free and you can add as many as you like.