Radiance Integrative Health & Wellness is a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 2024 to provide integrative, evidence-based healthcare that honors the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals, couples, and communities. Co-founded by Dr. Wendy Neal, DO, ND, Dr. Lusijah Marx, RN, PsyD, and Sundaura Lithman, MSW, LCSW, we created Radiance to bridge the gap between mental and physical healthcare—offering holistic, trauma-informed services rooted in compassion, connection, and community care.
In addition to clinical care, Radiance fosters community connection through monthly mutual aid gatherings, group meals, and free wellness events. We strive to increase to accessibility and equity, with a sliding scale payment model and an emphasis on creating a non-pathologizing, inclusive space where healing is grounded in relationship and belonging.
Our vision is to transform lives by nurturing the deep inner wisdom of each person, supporting growth, healing, and connection in a supportive, integrative environment.
Atalanta Association is a land-based educational non-profit enterprise which is developing a model permaculture and husbandry environment. It is a place of learning that fosters growth for children and adults in the healing, creative, and technological arts, honoring the human spirit, nature, and community.
Located on 44 acres in the high-altitude desert of the San Luis Valley, the project is using permaculture-based land-use design to demonstrate sustainable living. The structures on the land demonstrate alternative building methods and materials, renewable energy sources, and ecologically appropriate technology. Ongoing programming includes the Cooperative Orchard Garden, the High Valley Dairy Goat and Sheep Co-Op, and the Therapeutic Riding Program.
All programming and development is focused on honoring the human spirit, nature, community, and cultural awareness with the mission of “Learning to live with personal responsibility in peace and harmony with all Creation.”
Founded in 1995 by Subud members, the project continues to grow into the vision of serving the greater world while maintaining a deep connection to Subud.
Recent events on the land include service learning with the local Charter School, and service learning and equine education groups from Colorado College and from the local high school. The cooperative garden enrolls new members each year and continues to expand, with 10 new fruit trees planted over the last year, including one as a memorial to Harun Magnuson.
Cabin tents with cots are available by the night for visitors through the early fall. Volunteers and visitors are welcome and there is opportunity for collaboration with organizations and individuals in a variety of ways including volunteerism and educational programming.
SDUSA’s Annual Fall Fundraiser is in progress. Most of you will receive a flyer asking for donations and containing statements from those who have benefitted in the past from grants from SDUSA. This is the only fundraiser SDUSA does each year. Donations can be made either by returning the enclosed envelope from the mailing or by going online to SusilaDharmaUSA.org/donate.
SDUSA funds projects from all over the world and here in the US. The projects provide solutions to local situations and also give a voice to people who otherwise might not have the ability to communicate with others outside of their communities. These projects literally change people’s lives for the better, and they also give hope when there was little to none.
Your donations will help to continue the work of SDUSA. The amount of grants SDUSA is able to give to projects each year is dependent on how much is raised during the Fall Fundraiser. Please consider donating, even if you have never before contributed. No amount is too small.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
A tree grows in Carbondale
Dr. Pevec started a Child’s Garden of Peace. This program is an example of what can happen when someone develops an idea and receives funding from SDUSA to bring it to fruition.
My experience visiting the YUM project
By Michael Barber
The most impactful and memorable part of the recent world congress was, for me, our visits to the humanitarian projects. So, I was glad to be asked to write about my visit to Yayasan Usaha Mulia. As the SDUSA liaison to YUM, I follow the progress and challenges of the Child Stunting program, communicating with Vanessa (YUM’s Director). Still, meeting Vanessa – and the many others who serve YUM – in person and being on-site was… what can I say? …revelatory.
Most memorable: The booklet they developed for the “Kaders” (female volunteers to find, visit and educate mothers locally) with pictures on one side (facing the mothers) and words on the other (reminding the Kaders what to say). The small chef station they set up so that we could sample some of the recipes they developed so that families would accept the more nutritious but unfamiliar foods they were recommending. The personal stories they shared of triumphs and difficulties the project faced.
Small “chefs station” for tasting recipes YUM created
And that’s just the Stunting program. Staying in the M.Bahalap hotel in Palanka Raya we saw first-hand the need for trained, English speaking hospitality staff. So, visiting the YUM classrooms where they teach English, computers, and hospitality to young adults, I understood the difference this would make in the student’s lives and the community. I could see YUM’s heart.
Computer classroomHospitality classroom
Then Daniella Bustillo walked us through the Agroforestry project. She showed us the many soil enhancing materials that they had developed to increase productivity and resiliency and described the challenges they still face in finding a practical system that they can roll out to local farmers. She also asked whether any of us were mechanical engineers because they are looking for a way to efficiently process Rambutan (remove the big seed and keep the fruit) for canning – to create a market that local farmers can sell to.
Agroforestry project
I was left with and even greater admiration and gratitude for the amazingly substantial and compassionate people who create and operate the humanitarian projects in Kalimantan. If you ever have a chance to visit, I advise you to take it.
New National Helper liaisons
SDUSA welcomes two new National Helper Liaisons. Reynold Orchard is a new National Helper from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Halimah Brugger is a new National Helper from Boise, Idaho. The National Helpers provide an invaluable perspective to the SDUSA Board’s decision-making process for funding projects.
Finally
Finally, the SDUSA Board would like to extend its sympathy and compassion to all those on the East Coast whose lives have been impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. One huge storm leaves an indelible mark on people. Two huge storms so close together may seem as if the world may never again feel safe or livable. Nature has a miraculous way of healing. It is the same with people’s lives. As people find a way to renew, we wish you all that you need to rebuild your lives.
February Granting meeting: top left; Michael Barber, Oswald Norton, Rifka Several (business manager), Jane Katz, Mary Salisbury, bottom left; Kailani Brugger Ward, Halimah Brugger, Fauziyah Ishak (board chair), Loretta Covert (national helper liaison)
Greetings Everyone! As the weather in North America turns to spring, with all its beauty and the hope of new beginnings, we wanted to bring you up to date on SD’s work from February 2024.
The Board met in Boise, Idaho for its annual grant giving session. Over $70,000 was distributed to the following projects:
Anisha
Atalanta
Beautiful Portland
Bina Cita Utama (BCU)
Borneo Football
Casa Cuna
Cows for Kids
Fuegos
Fundacuion Amanecer: Teremuka
International Child Development Program (ICDP)
Inner City Schools
Quest
Tijuana Family Outreach
Usaha Mulia Abadi
Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta (YTS)
Yayasan Usaha Mulia (YUM)
These projects represent work both in the US and in other countries.
Boise Mountains as we arrived in Idaho for our February Granting meeting
New SD USA Board member Oswald Norton described his experience in the granting process this way:
“Joining SD-USA as a board member brought about a new chapter in my Subud life: contributing to the work of our giving wing.
Susila Dharma-USA provides funding for 19 Subud-member projects located around the world. I was given the opportunity to connect with 3 of these projects when I became a board member.
As a part of our annual granting meeting, my projects had to report on the use of their funds, granted for the previous year. And, complete a new application for funding for this year. At our granting meetings I was to represent these projects through the brief relationship I had been able to develop with them and the documents that they’d provided. It was an obligation I didn’t take lightly. We didn’t have enough money to be able to provide the full funding requested.
Through our meeting, testing and decision processes over 2 zoom meetings and 2 days of in person meetings we were finally able to complete the process of determining how much we could provide each project, including mine.
Now that we’ve completed our granting for this year, I am grateful to the other board members and our national helpers for their help and guidance through this my first season. I look forward to the opportunity to get to learn more about the work of my projects and the communities they serve.“
Melinda Wallis Grant
Illene Pevec
In early February Illene Pevec requested funds to help feed 120 Venezuelans who had recently immigrated to Illene’s community of 7000 people. The Board provided this need by granting a one-time $500 grant from the Melinda Wallis fund.
In the coming months, the SD USA newsletter will share more information and stories and pictures from high-lighted projects. In the meantime, please take a moment to appreciate the beautiful blooms and gentle colors of the earth. The miraculous and timely renewal of life is all around us.
Zakat
We pray that everyone observing the Ramadan fast receives God’s grace and blessings.
For those wishing to give Zakat* through SD USA, donations this year will be split between Anisha in India and YTS (Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta) in Indonesia.
Please indicate “zakat” with your donation (online: use the drop-down menu under “choose a project”). If you are earmarking your donation for a different project, indicate that also.
Anisha Home Garden
Anisha For almost two decades, Anisha has been a beacon of hope in drought-prone southern India. The project works with small-scale farmers and landless farm workers to increase their household food security by promoting organic farming practices, encouraging the establishment of home gardens, and providing native seeds from their seed bank. Anisha also provides support for at-risk children to stay in high school. In times of dire need (such as the Covid lockdowns) they distributed food to local families.
Ibu Mery Susanti, coordinator of the YTS working group for agriculture, harvesting cucumbers
YTS (Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta) Established over 25 years ago, YTS is a rural development initiative that helps small Dayak (native Bornean) communities to improve their livelihoods. They provide trainings and technical support for activities such as animal husbandry, fish farming, and marketing practices. They also have an education support program.
Both Anisha and YTS have helped thousands of the very poorest in their communities. Your zakat donation will help their vital support go even further.
* Zakat is a charitable donation traditionally given at the end of Ramadan. Unlike regular donations to SD USA during the rest of the year (disbursed annually as grants to projects), zakat donations are passed on immediately. Please indicate “zakat” with your donation.
