Hello OCF collective admins,

We hope you all are well as we settle into 2023! Here are a few updates and reminders:

1. OCF's US-based core staff will be retreating together in New York City from Monday, February 20 to Friday, February 24. During this time, we will be unavailable by email and will not process expenses or incoming bank transfer/check donations. Some of our international team members will be keeping an eye on things, but you should not expect a response to your inquiry during that week. If something is truly, deeply urgent during that time, include the word "urgent" in the email Subject. Please keep in mind that this retreat time will benefit all of the Collectives in the long term by helping foster a resilient core team.

2. If you are based in the NYC-area, save the date for an in-person meetup between OCF core staff and Collective members in the area on the evening of Thursday, February 23. More info to come. (Please also reach out if there are volunteer opportunities, events, donation drives, or other happenings that week that the staff might be able to engage with!)

3. A reminder that all check donations must be sent to our new address:

440 N. Barranca Avenue #3717
Covina, CA 91723

Checks received at our old address (the Walnut, CA address) after March 31, 2023, will not be re-routed to us because our mailbox provider's landlord sold the building to a private investment fund that promptly doubled the rent and refused to sign a multi-year lease. *shakes head and throws hands up in the air*

~

A couple more announcements:

And one more thing: our team is experiencing overlapping illnesses and other unplanned challenges this week, so if you haven't heard from us as promptly as usual, that is why. We'll get to your email as soon as we can. 

Warmly,
The OCF core team