You remember your first residency. Workshops with a view of the San Jacinto Mountains. Those clear desert nights. Long talks at the fire pits about everything and nothing. The first-day-of-school nerves of the opening night party and the joyful tears of Sad Lunch. Coming in a stranger and leaving with the best friends you've ever made. It's always a magical and memorable time.

When we started this program it was with the idea that it would be a soft landing spot for each of you. Over the years, you've turned that idea into reality. Now, we want to help alleviate some of those first residency jitters by giving every new writer their first residency for free. They'll arrive in the desert, unpack their belongings and unpack a few of their burdens, too. We'll take care of their room and board. They'll focus on their writing.

With your help, we can turn another idea into something tangible and meaningful. It's what we do here, after all. So, today, as we kick off UCR's Give Day, we're thrilled to announce our ambitious initiative to give every new student a head start on the rest of their artistic life. This isn’t something we’ll achieve in the next two days. It’s something we’ll work toward for the long term, to assure that every person who comes through our door gets the same benefits. It’s the right thing to do.

Thank you, as ever, for the tremendous support you’ve already provided to this program. It goes a long way.

For more information on how to donate, visit our Give Day page here.