Get involved
Trinity served as a polling place on election day. From 7am to 7pm, I got to witness a steady stream of our neighbors showing up to vote, and I loved seeing such a diverse crowd come through! First time voters brought energy & excitement, and seeing future voters accompany parents filled me with hope. We live in a beautiful neighborhood.
Since the election, I’ve fielded a common question: “I’m feeling discouraged. Results aren’t what I hoped for, or my vote didn’t seem to matter. How can I channel my grief into something that will matter? How can I help my neighbors? How can I make an impact hyper-locally?”
I love hearing this question.
It tells me we have so many neighbors who care, and who aren’t content with the systems we have today.
If you’re feeling discouraged or powerless, I have good news for you. And if you’re happy with recent election results, I have the same news for you -
you matter,
your neighbors need you,
and there is an impact that only you can have in the lives of your neighbors -
if you’re willing to show up and get in relationship with neighbors in need.
There are so many ways to show up and love your neighbors,
even in the midst of change and uncertainty. Here are just a few -
Walk your neighborhood, introduce yourself to someone new, and invite them to join you for dinner
Share a meal with neighbors on Tuesday nights at TCC, get to know those around you who might be struggling in secret. Every Tuesday night from 4:30 - 6:30.
Help organize and share community resources with neighbors in need. Neighbors have crowdsourced clothing & the Community Resource Center recently began generously supplying hygiene and cleaning supplies. These are available for any neighbor in need.
Walk with neighbors as they journey towards housing - this can be such a long time to wait, and it can be an incredibly lonely journey, but it doesn’t have to be. Community dinners are a great way to meet and build those kinds of relationships.
Plant trees with us the week of Dec 2-7 (specific date TBD)
Drop bagged leaves at the community garden. We’ll mix these in, and in the spring they’ll produce fruit and veggies we can enjoy together and share with neighbors
Join the Trinity Community Garden crew for next season. Together we’ll plant, harvest, prepare, and share food grown right in our neighborhood. Email zach@trinitycommunitycommons.org to learn more.
Towards a more just & sustainable future
If you’re looking to make a strategic impact in Nashville’s community life through shared meals, you’re in luck: there’s a citywide initiative, Feedback Nashville, that brings community members together to imagine and build a just and sustainable food future for the city. The initiative is well underway, and they’re hosting their next workshop on December 8th from 1-3pm. Community members have already identified 6 strategic ways to shape Nashville’s food future, and these are the ideas we’ll be discussing on Dec. 8.
One of those key ideas is to “establish a series of diverse third spaces where people come together to both meet their immediate food needs and engage with old and new neighbors alike to rebuild a fraying social fabric in Nashville.” If you’re a long time Community Meal participant, you have a lot to offer your neighbors in how to create and grow life giving third spaces like this!
RSVP & read more about the Feedback Nashville workshop here. I plan on attending, and I hope you’ll join me.
Grateful for all our neighbors,
Zach
