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What Guides Us

Our Values

Learn about why Lumara exists, what guides our work, and the people who bring our mission to life.

What Guides Us

In 2021, Lumara began a collaborative process of articulating our core organizational values. Members of our staff, board, volunteers, donors and alumni gathered to reflect on what really guides us: in the care we deliver to our participants, in the ways we work together and in our interactions with the broader community. Five core value sentences were created through a process of deep conversation and consensus-building. Lumara’s values reflect and respond to the strength of our roots and our history. They continue to shape our growth and the unfolding of our dreams for a vibrant future.

(We Begin With) Love, Compassion & Kindness

(We Begin With) Love, Compassion & Kindness

We engage with open hearts and open minds; extending care, kindness, love and compassion through our actions and interactions. We are shaped and sustained by the love of many people ~ those who are alive and those who have died ~ and we believe that the love and kindness we give back to the world nurtures and sustains others.

(We Believe In) Transformation, Resilience & Hope

(We Believe In) Transformation, Resilience & Hope

We believe that everyone ~ regardless of their circumstances ~ is capable of moving towards wholeness, towards growth and healing. We strive to always hold space for hope and for possibility. We trust in the process of transformation. We believe in the power of resiliency.

(We Work With) Integrity, Courage & Creativity

(We Work With) Integrity, Courage & Creativity

We seek to be reliable, responsible, transparent, and thoughtful. We are conscientious in our use of the resources (financial and personal) entrusted to us by others. We strive to be outstanding in all that we do. We engage in processes of authentic and creative reflection that help us to continuously innovate and improve the quality of our work. We strive to learn from conflict. With courage we step out of our comfort zone and engage with bold ideas that challenge the status quo. Our activities, responsibilities and decision-making processes are undertaken with the well-being of our entire organization as the primary consideration.

(We Trust In) Play, In Beauty & In Nature

(We Trust In) Play, In Beauty & In Nature

We believe Play is our birthright ~ to trust in its power helps us to live in possibility. (In this value we are especially inspired by the wisdom of children). Beauty ~ in its incredible myriad of forms ~ is an experience that engages our senses and opens our heart. We believe that Nature is an especially powerful conduit of Beauty. Spending time on the land nurtures our bodies, soothes our minds and brings calm to our souls. When we are troubled, we turn to the power of Nature, of Beauty and of Play to bring light to our darkness and help us find our way.

(We Depend On) Place, Community & Belonging

(We Depend On) Place, Community & Belonging

We intentionally work to create opportunities, places, and spaces for people of all ages (children, youth, families, adults) to experience a sense of connectedness, of community and belonging. We believe that these experiences are the strongest antidote we have for diminishing loneliness, isolation and human suffering.