Our History

Our Mission |  Our History

Skyline Harvest was founded in 1988 by Teresa Hahn and Diane Pendola as a response to the needs of incarcerated and chemically-dependent women. Skyline Ranch was the name of the land before incorporation as a California non-profit organization. In choosing the non-profit name, Skyline was kept and Harvest added. The expansive south facing skyline was an apt symbol. From this meeting of heavens and earth, at the horizon of human consciousness, could emerge a light-filled harvest.

Diane finished her master’s degree in theology, Teresa left 26 years as a Carmelite Sister, and together we began to tend the land.  At the same time, we reached out to women in jail and in prison and invited them to Skyline as a place of transition and healing.

A devastating forest fire in 1999 moved us to focus our awareness on healing our earth. Inspired by the work of theologian Thomas Berry and intercultural philosopher Raimon Panikkar, we opened our Eco-contemplative Center, dedicated to cultivating awareness of our radical interrelatedness with all of life.

Today, as an eco-contemplative center, the original commitment to justice, compassion, and healing has grown to include the whole earth community. Work to support the inner liberation and essential well-being of incarcerated women continues through the Lioness Tale Prison Project.