‘Building Short Bridges’ gathering features local leader who feeds 60+ community members weekly
Ashland.news staff report
A new facilitated and interactive event from All.Together.Now, “Building Short Bridges: Start Where You Are,” will help participants translate their passions into concrete and manageable actions.
The gathering is set to take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, in the Gresham Room at Ashland Public Library, 410 Siskiyou Blvd.
The facilitated and interactive event will feature Lisa Ebony Amador, who has coordinated volunteers for the past three years, helping serving lunch every Saturday to those experiencing homelessness and those stretching to make ends meet.
During the gathering, Amador will share her story of how she started making a difference without trying to solve everything all at once.
“Arthur Ashe wrote: ‘Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can,'” said Hillary Larson, ATN team member. “This event is for anyone who feels the pull to help but doesn’t know where to begin, or who thinks they don’t have enough time or the right skills to make a difference.”
Building Short Bridges follows up on a previous All.Together.Now gathering where community members explored questions like: What issues concern you most? Who is not in the room and why? Who is not in your circle of social connections? What skills can you contribute?
“Now comes the next question,” Larson continued. “Where do you start? And what barriers prevent you from taking that first step into action?”
The event will provide space for attendees to explore the gap between caring and doing, and to discover their own “short bridges”—doable ways to contribute to the community. Participants will learn about immediate opportunities to help, including easy ways to support the Saturday lunch program. No experience is necessary and no commitments are required.
The “short bridges” concept comes from john powell, who advises: “Don’t start with the longest bridge… start with something more doable. Those are what I call short bridges that eventually you’ll get to longer bridges.”
The event is free and open to all, with snacks and refreshments provided. Registration is required and can be found here.
Ashland Together is a community-based initiative dedicated to fostering racial and social equity, inclusion, and collaboration within the community. Ashland Together organizes and shares educational talks, cultural events, community conversations, and projects that focus on social justice, history, belonging, and inclusion.
Source: Ashland Together news release. Email Ashland.news at [email protected].
