The Pearlstone Center Reinvents Community Support During COVID-19
Sustainability and justice are core components of who we are and how we want to utilize the precious resources that we have. We have access to land. We grow nutritious organic food, care for beautiful land and facilities, and support a very talented group of educators. We are mobilizing that capacity to make an impact on the world. We try to model, embody, and inspire greater justice in the world, and greater sustainability—both locally and nationally.
Jakir Manela, CEO, the Pearlstone Center
The Pearlstone Center opened in 2001, and today has grown into a 180-acre Jewish retreat center and outdoor education campus nestled in the beautiful countryside of Reisterstown. Pearlstone has warmly welcomed Promise Heights school groups for several years, as they’ve done for people from all backgrounds. They offer immersive retreats, experiential environmental education, organic farming and land stewardship, volunteering, skills workshops, community sustainability initiatives, and much more. Pearlstone is an agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, an inspiring network of agencies mobilized to strengthen community and respond in times of crisis.
In recent months, they’ve adjusted overall programming while featuring their core values: environmental sustainability, community engagement, and by fostering health via organic farming and meal preparation, hosting retreats and rentals, and building impressive online interaction.
Since he joined the center in 2006, Jakir Manela has held a variety of roles and has welcomed Promise Heights students in several capacities. “Before I was the CEO, I started the farm, and I was the first farmer/educator at Pearlstone. I was running these programs and saw how the students reacted when they arrived. At first, they were possessed with a kind of disorientation. It was that, ‘where am I?!’ and ‘what the heck is going on here?!’ experience for the kids. Actually, it was confusing. I was wondering, ‘What did we do wrong? What happened?!” It took a little time for them to understand—and for us to understand—that this is a totally new environment. It’s totally different here. You know—seeing big bumblebees can be scary for the first time!”
Meaghan Tine, Promise Heights’ Community School Director at Furman L. Templeton Preparatory Academy, has similar memories of their autumn 2019 fieldtrip. “What I've heard from parents is that their kids don't often get out of the city, and it feels so good when they do. They like their kids to know that there’s something outside of our ’bubble.’ I think that's really how most families feel. We want to do our best for our kids, and offer as many experiences as we can, and always give children better lives than we may have had.”
“Our first fieldtrip this past fall was really positive, yet we only got to go on one visit because the second and third trip was scheduled in the spring, right as the Coronavirus hit. So that first fieldtrip is all that happened. It was a really positive experience. About 45 kids in the 5th grade came, with about five or six chaperones. It was open to all students—families too. When we arrived, it was raining. Lightly misting. The kids all got in a line in the big field and we said, ‘go ahead and run, have lots of fun, and see who’s the fastest!’ They just ran and ran, and they were giggling. They were getting wet. Some were a little agitated. Yet they really loved it.”
“I remember seeing three boys hanging out around a rooster. They were mesmerized by it. It was so cool seeing animals in their natural habitat. Another moment—two of our students who are on opposite ends of the autism spectrum—they were extremely excited. Seeing smiles on their faces was a joy. It showed how being out of classrooms on fieldtrips is such a valuable part of this program, being in this new environment with the animals.”
Jakir reflected on similar memories, “The first fieldtrip every year has become an orientation to a new space and a moment to help everybody feel safe and comfortable. By the end, kids are just—both during their first visit and throughout the whole year—just so excited, so thrilled, and so alive with curiosity and connection to the natural world. That’s a big part of our goal and hope—for them to feel at home and connected to nature, to the forest, to farms and food. The Earth is an amazing teacher.”
While Promise Heights’ students, families, and staff had looked forward to return visits that were canceled due to the pandemic, during this season when it’s currently safer to stay at home, we modified our plans and transitioned our budget to facilitate delivery of 100 weekly meals to our school and program families.
A Special Treat
100 Promise Heights families enjoyed Pearlstone’s meals during June & July
For eight Fridays in June and July, Pearlstone has prepared and delivered bulk meals to us at the Sharpe Street Memorial United Methodist Church and Community House. Then a team of about fifteen Promise Heights volunteers bag the packages with menus and informative postcards we’ve published to help families manage stresses and realities they may be experiencing. Our teams then drive and deliver the meals door-to-door to nearly 100 families of four. We also share several meals with Sharpe Street Church members, as they’ve generously offered their facility as our base. Each week, we also share twelve meals with other community partners—most recently the No Boundaries Coalition and Safe Streets Sandtown-Winchester.
Pearlstone Executive Chef Rebecca Pauvert expressed a sense of pride about this endeavor, recently saying,“I know I speak for everyone one of us who are a part of this effort at Pearlstone when I say that it is our humble privilege to be of service to our community in providing nourishing food to the children and families of Baltimore. We are here and continue to be available to assist in any way possible.”
If you’ve visited Pearlstone, you’ll recognize its most unique qualities that Jakir cherishes, as “across the country there are very few places—if any—that offer the unique kind of combination of the hospitality facilities that we have. You know, the dining facilities. All the outdoor spaces. A certified organic farm, the high adventure ropes course, and the pond. We now have three miles of trail. It's just a really special privilege and honor to be able to work together with so many great people.”
Deputy Director Eve Wachhaus’ enthusiasm reveals a similar level of pride for Pearlstone’s recent reopening. “We’re very, very blessed that weddings are coming to our campus. Small retreats are coming, and we’re thrilled to offer new program and business opportunities. Of course, everything that we do is according to CDC and Maryland Department of Health guidelines. We practice even more rigorous precautions and care because we know everybody is giving us their trust by coming out during Coronavirus. We are so honored! And we’ve established extra operating procedures in regards to cleanliness and social distancing.”
Out of an abundance of caution, Pearlstone recently canceled their summer 2020 overnight Tiyul Adventure Camp and several other seasonal staples while their team adeptly introduced dynamic and healthy options for the people of greater Baltimore. They offer a whimsical breath of fresh air: if you’ve attended too many Zoom meetings, you can arrange a one-on-one virtual time visit with their goats, hosted by David Ben Yehuda, Pearlstone’s “Chief Goat Correspondent.” Or explore their website to discover how to order a delivered-to-your-doorstep delicious family style meal—they’ve been preparing and delivering up to 100 meals five nights each week, and offer entertaining and informative online learning as well as many other opportunities.
Besides following recipes and cooking ideas on Pearlstone’s website,
you’ll find enticing posts on their Facebook page as well.
Given all the recent changes, Jakir reflected on Pearlstone’s growth. “We celebrated our 18th anniversary last fall. As Richie Pearlstone said at that event—'You know, an 18-year-old may have left the house, but still needs your support!’ We're in a really transformative part of our life as an organization, and obviously with this pandemic, we’re very much transformed. We all firmly believe in our resilience and know this is not changing our fundamentally strong trajectory.”
Eve expressed similar confidence for the Center that’s grown so much during its first two decades, “We hope that we’ll find new ways to partner with Promise Heights in particular and with other groups within our community. COVID-19 might have changed some of the things people thought were going happen, but they haven't changed who we are or the relationships we’ve built.”
If you’ve been feeling the need to break out of your day-to-day routines, we can attest that Pearlstone is a fantastic place to explore, relax, and open your horizons. Make a virtual visit. Or even better— to contact Pearlstone to learn more and arrange your own visit. When you reach out, please do share that you’re a friend of Promise Heights and appreciate our valued partnership with the Pearlstone Center.