Heartbeat video

This video was shot in Monterrey, Mexico in a neighborhood called La Indepencia, Cerro de Campagna. The young actors in the video live in this neighborhood, co-existing within a tight knit community that contains powerful love alongside extreme violence.

As persons of privilege, we recognize that this is not completely our story to tell. This story belongs to the people of that barrio, we are grateful  to have our own perspectives expanded by the making of this video, and we are honored by the community’s presence in our video. That said, perspective and learning is only half the equation.

We have chosen a few NPOs to direct toward in terms of donation, specifically chosen based on their global, national and local impacts. We believe wholeheartedly in grassroots impact first, endorsing the funding of community organizations to make tangible and  timely change, as we believe that donations go further in this regard. However, we also recognize that issues of violence and poverty are not exclusive to the area in which “heartbeat” was filmed. To expand the reach we have included larger national and global orgs.

In addition to whatever you can donate, be it time or resources, we encourage you join us in doing your own research to learn more about systemic inequities around the globe that perpetuate cycles of violence. From this place of education and action, we can change things for the better.

click each heading to be directed to each charity.

Barrio Esperanza

Barrio Esperanza is a civil organization operating in Cerro de Campagna. They are residents of the community, with a direct pulse on the needs of neighbors and loved ones. This organization has 3 centers set up throughout the neighborhood, to provide direct support to the 1,400 people impacted by their work. This work includes infrastructure renovations, addition of public spaces for children, medical assistance, cooking classes & food cultivation, art classes, community cleanups and more.

RAICES

One of the consequences of threat of violence and instability in communities like Cerro de Campagna is that families may be displaced, or are pushed to leave due to that threat. The U.S. currently holds a political and systematic stance that is inhospitable and cruel to immigrants and refugees seeking asylum.  RAICES is a San Antonio, Texas based organization that provides free and low cost legal services, advocacy, and bond service to underserved immigrant children, family and refugees. They operate nationally, yet focus heavily in Texas due to the large shared border with Mexico.

Save the Children

Save the Children is a large, global advocacy and action NPO. Their services are broad and span everything from policy advocacy, to emergency response & supplies and enrichment programs for children. Their site allows for sponsorship of a child in addition to donation, for individuals looking for a more personal connection to their gift.

september update

Since our last post so much has happened. Jacob Blake was shot, wildfires have burnt up much of the west coast, including much of our home state of california, and protests still carry on throughout the country.

Here are the things we did this month to help others and stave off some of the existential dread:

Started volunteering with political campaigns and voting orgs! We signed up to be part of the texting campaign for one of our candidates. Every day we send about 300 texts asking voters where they stand on issues, forwarding them resources and helping them register to vote. This is a crucial moment in our politics, and this is one way you can be more involved while helping others get involved in our democratic process.

Donated in-kind items to fire victims It’s always helpful to donate funds, but when people first escape from natural disasters it really helps to have things like bedding, toys for children, clothes and shoes readily available. Most people leave their lives behind, and aren’t able to get new items quickly. Whenever a natural disaster breaks out remember to research local relief shelters or local advocacy groups, most will have a social media page or email address you can contact to see what they need.

Got serious about mental health Benji here- I’ve always been an advocate for psychological therapy and counseling. When I was young I pursued therapy from a reactionary standpoint, only going if a trauma or hardship had occurred and was putting me under stress for months. Now I see I treat it more preventatively, going back to therapy as I begin to enter experiences that are difficult. This year due to the global pandemic I would argue ALL of humanity has experienced a shared trauma. For those of us in countries experiencing civil unrest there is that layer as well. What I’m trying to say is that if you feel it’s sometimes hard to talk about existential dread, or any anxieties regarding our current situation, it might be time to talk to a professional. Sometimes when many people go through something we can feel like our feelings don’t matter, or like we don’t want to overload people further. This is why it can be great to talk to a therapist, they are an unbiased support for you, and it is their job to help you bear the emotional load of whatever you’re going through. Why wait til after it’s too heavy to ask for help? I’m back in therapy because sometimes my worries for the future get the best of me, and I want to continue to be there for my loved ones and not shut down completely. Whatever may be weighing on you, sometimes it helps to talk it through, have someone hold you accountable to coping mechanisms, and learn new things about yourself.

Welcome! Why did we choose this format & platform? What are our values?

we never intended to do this, to be quite honest. in that way, in addition to many other ways, we benefitted from our white privilege. so in looking at our values, and how we do stand for standing for something, we had to figure this out. It will be an ongoing process, and as an extension of ourselves will continue to evolve.

when we started this project, we intended it to be a creative haven for the two of us. by it’s definition, haven is a place of refuge, and therefore we categorized the mutual creative space as one of positive, dreamlike escape. a place where we could tell any story we liked, not necessarily drawing from our own life, but more often than not inspired by the sonics itself. music is our escape, and it seems that intentionality transferred to some folks who listen to what we make. we see our music associated with wellness and yoga, have received messages of being a source of peace in troubling times, and overall our music is described as “chill” evoking its use as a means of rest.

so when we recognized the responsibility that comes along with a platform, we had to take a hard look at the dichotomy of positive escapism and positive change.

we realized that slenderbodies is for things, not against them. it can be so easy to criticize or naysay, and we are not devoid of those behaviors. but in this space, supporting things is far better than fighting against something. if we want to make positive change, we must act in whichever way generates the highest good, and the most love. so here we will be talking about what we can do to help things we believe in.

we want people to have choice in what they engage with. this is the main reason for hosting this on our website, rather than socials. we believe that social media feeds are currently an extension of psyche. specific to our music, we believe that people should have a choice with what they engage with and how deeply. For folks who solely see our music as a haven and a safe place, away from the chaos of the world, we don’t want to take that away. that’s not to say we’ll never post things having to do with issues of racial justice, climate change or education. It just means that on our socials it will be more of a truncated view. for folks who are interested in our ethics, views and activism on a deeper level, we’re glad to have you here, and this will be the place where we show up not only consistently, but in depth.

lastly, we are open to changing how things are done, and the of course hearing perspectives on policy, but we are NOT here to argue. to reiterate as a collective, as slenderbodies, as a band and brand, we are for things, not against things.

we are FOR equal rights for ALL HUMAN BEINGS REGARDLESS OF GENDER, RACE, ETHNICITY, CULTURE, CLASS, ABILITY OR BELIEFS.

we are FOR science and history, and the use of RELIABLE DATA as agreed on by common society, marginalized groups, educational institutions etc.

we are for LOVE, not FEAR

we are for FULFILLMENT, not MONEY

we are for GROWTH, even when it might hurt a little or a lot

we will do our best to stand up and stand for what we believe in, and we believe in love, empathy and unity.

“And while I'm alive, I'll make tiny changes to earth” - Scott Hutchinson, FR