On The Table: Where big ideas spring from small conversations
On The Table: Where big ideas spring from small conversations
Picnic tables draped with blue tablecloth were lined up in the median on the 1000 block of Broadway last fall as the sun sank over the Chattahoochee River, and fairy lights draped around the little fountain square gave the space a warm, vibrant atmosphere. People from all over the Chattahoochee Valley arrived, bearing trays of food, which they deposited at community buffet tables. They arranged themselves at tables, fixed plates, and soon the median was alive with the electric buzz of eager conversation. They arrived to share food and camaraderie, yes, but their greater mission is a little more difficult to pinpoint.
They came for On The Table, a one-day civic engagement initiative, hosted locally by the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley (CFCC) and funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The CFCC was one of ten community foundations across the country to participate in last year’s On the Table pilot program, and following the 2017 initiative’s success—which included thousands of people meeting for the first time and new community projects growing from these meetings, such as the Midtown Cleanup Day—the Community Foundation is again hosting this conversational initiative on Oct. 23, 2018.
Last year 6,500 people were connected through On the Table in our community, and not only in Uptown. Churches and community centers all over the area hosted the event, at which people from all walks of life joined friends and strangers alike to share food, and to share their concerns and dreams for our area. This broad, inclusive initiative is designed to build deeper community connections and help people feel invited to take active roles in their community.
“We believe people want to be connected,” Betsy Covington, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, said during our interview at the Community Foundation offices.
In each of last year’s ten pilot cities, the response was astounding, but the Chattahoochee Valley’s response—of 6,500 participants compared to 3,000 in Miami—demonstrates the accuracy of Betsy’s belief: our community has an avid commitment to communication and cooperation.
On the Table is a place for beginnings. At any of the events sprinkled throughout the Valley, participants come together to talk, collaborate, meet new people, and find new ways to become more civically engaged. The sheer scope of the event makes it special, and so to is the format.
“As long as you’re having respectful conversation,” Betsy told us, “you’re doing it the right way.”
Anyone can host a table of 8 to twelve people, and anywhere people can come together over a meal or a snack is a perfect venue. The conversation should be about whatever is important to you and our community. The conversations at On the Table do not end at the end of the night. Out of the conversations and ideas generated during the event, there is really opportunity to make a difference in our community. To help the event grow from year to year, participants are asked to take a quick survey about their experiences, which helps the CFCC improve next year’s On the Table and provides the community with important data about what people think is important in their neighborhoods.
While the CFCC hosts the event, Betsy is adamant that On the Table belongs to the entire community. Like On the Table, CFCC’s mission is broad. Essentially, CFCC exists to facilitate community engagement, primarily through pairing philanthropists with opportunities. “We are a resource for people in the community who want to do good,” Betsy explained.
And good they do. Since its founding in 1998 to help people with philanthropic interests easily and effectively support the issues they care about, the CFCC has grown to over $170 million in assets endowed for the long-term betterment of the community. One ongoing project being facilitated by the CFCC is the Dragon Fly Trail Project; so far, the Foundation has helped bring $600 thousand worth of grants to the project, to pay for design and engineering expenses. “If there’s a passion for getting things done in the community,” Betsy said, “the Community Foundation is involved.”
At its core, On the Table is built on the belief that everyone has a voice, and the community-wide events provide a platform for everyone who believes in making the Chattahoochee Valley an even better place to live. To register and learn more, visit OnTheTableChatt.com. You can also connect on social media, with OnTheTableChatt on Facebook and #ChattChatt on Instagram.