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Closing the gap between generations and nationalities, around 30 English and Persian speaking ladies from San Diego to San Jose participated in the First Zoroastrian Women’s Retreat at Villa Maria Del Mer in Santa Cruz on the last weekend of June, 2018. "Overnight, the wonderful ladies…with compassion, strength and unity raised $ 2,700 towards the new Zoroastrian Center in the Bay area,” noted a report in the August 2018 FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America) Bulletin. The retreat was organized by Dolat Bolandi and Armita Dalal in collaboration with the Persian Zoroastrian Organization (PZO).
"The best gift the Retreat gave me was hope. In an atmosphere filled with fear of losing our youth to other beliefs, decreasing in number until extinction, I came home with the hope that my girls will join me and the other women of their community in strength and unity in similar retreats in the future,” expressed Artemis Javanshir in her report carried in the Bulletin.
Hearing the waves against the sandy beach and feeling the cool air, the ladies gathered for a meditation session; enjoyed the sweet voices of Nooshin Jahangiri and Farangis Jahanian Pishdadi singing verses from the Gathas, including the Ashem Vohu and Yatha Ahu prayers whilst pondering over their meanings; stretched their bodies and minds at the yoga session conducted by certified instructor Armita Pishdadi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To experience a connection with their roots, the ladies, with their eyes closed, were encouraged to pick up a chakra stone (different colored semiprecious stones which are believed to have their own unique energy to help in healing/meditation). Later, the ladies who were each given a white string had to tie it like a symbolic kusti around the wrist of their partner whilst reciting the Ashem and Yatha. Another fascinating exercise was making candles. "We dug holes in the sand, sprinkled esfand (a fragrant dried seed that is burnt with incense or by itself) in them and then poured melted wax to form our own candles,” clarified Dalal. The ladies carried home the esfand infused candles which when lit brought back childhood memories and association with their atash kadeh. The poetry recited by Yasmin Kouchesfahani paved the way for sharing intimate stories of old and new which connected them to their shared history and beliefs.
According to the PZO website, pzo.info, their Organization together with the Zarthoshti Anjuman of Northern California (ZANC) plan to purchase a property and construct a community center and banquet hall. They are looking for property in East Bay, between Milpitas and Hayward (about 34 miles from San Francisco international airport, East Bay region signifies the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, including inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties). The PZO and ZANC are expected to raise five million dollars each. The website indicated that PZO has met 16% of their target so far.
"Although our beloved Dar-e-Mehr will remain as our place of worship, as a fast-growing community who has a lot to be proud of and promote to the rest of the world, we need a proper center where we can hold large educational conferences and classes, in addition to our cultural and religious celebrations. A place with a magnificent banquet hall where we would be proud to hold our weddings and other personal events. It will strengthen our community by providing us with a senior center, a sports center and a place for all other activities that a large and growing community like ours needs,” the objectives of the proposed center were delineated on the website.
A joint committee consisting of members of PZO Zenhardaran (board of trustees) and anjuman as well as those from ZANC have launched a capital campaign to raise funds. A number of volunteers have gone through professional training for effective interaction with the community but the committee is hoping more volunteers will join "for the once in a lifetime chance to be a part of this critical project and defining point for our Zoroastrian community…This is for the future of our children, the community, and the greater impact Zoroastrian ideology can have on the world communities. It is a privilege, not an obligation, to be part of this project,” states the website.
The ZANC website, zanc.org lists the two main reasons for investing in the Bay Area Zarathushti Community Center: the rapid increase in numbers; and zoning restrictions at the current Dar-e-Mehr severely limiting activities. There are 440 plus known Zoroastrian families in the Bay Area and vicinity comprising more than 690 adults and 250 children and youth. (The San Francisco Bay Area  is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun estuaries in the northern part of the US state of California. It generally includes the nine counties that border the aforementioned estuaries: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma and San Francisco, according to Wikipedia.)
Community centers provide a sense of identity and bring together both adults and children. Hence they plan to buy a minimum two-acre plot in East Bay, with some existing facility, or one which can be remodeled/reconstructed with a capacity for 300-400 people and 100 parking spaces. The property they purchase will be appropriately zoned and meet all regulatory requirements so that it can accommodate three or four classrooms, a library, game room, play area, sanctuary room, kitchen and bathrooms. They specify that donations can be made online or by check (payable to "ZANC, enter ‘New Community Center Fund’” on Memo line and sent to: Ehler Spliedt, 12 Skypark Circle, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA),  via a company matching program (double the impact of your dollars!), direct transfer, in installments per month/per year, Paypal, in installments of per month/per year, stock donations, Required Minimum Distributions (the US federal government mandated annual withdrawals from sanctioned retirement plans).