Dinner Party Labs

TO TRANSFORM SOME OF OUR HARDEST CONVERSATIONS AND MOST ISOLATING EXPERIENCES INTO SOURCES OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT, CANDID CONVERSATION, AND FORWARD MOVEMENT USING THE AGE OLD PRACTICES OF GATHERING AND BREAKING BREAD.

FLAGSHIP PROGRAM:1) THE DINNER PARTY CONNECTS GRIEVING 20-,30-, AND EARLY 40-SOMETHINGS TO ONE ANOTHER, WHETHER ONE-TO-ONE OR IN SMALL PEER-LED GROUPS; 2) IN 2022, WE CONNECTED 1273 DINNER PARTIERS TO 122 VIRTUAL TABLES, WHICH CONTINUE TO MEET ON AN ONGOING BASIS AND MATCHED MORE THAN 680 PEERS TO ONE ANOTHER THROUGH OUR BUDDY SYSTEM; 3) THE BIPOC WELL-BEING PROGRAM CONTINUED TO HOST QUARTERLY EVENTS, WEEKLY GATHERINGS, AND ONGOING HOST SUPPORT SPECIFICALLY LED BY AND FOR BIPOC MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY; 4)WE ENLISTED A TEAM OF HOSTS TO CREATE QUARTERLY PEER-LED GATHERINGS; 5) WE COMPLETED A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF COLLECTIVE RITUALS ON GRIEF, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RESEARCHERS DR. TOBIN BELZER AND DR. LAURA BRADY, INVOLVING A YEARLONG PILOT WITH NEARLY A DOZEN DINNER PARTY TABLES.

PARTNERSHIPS TEAM:: OUR PARTNERSHIPS TEAM EQUIPS COMMUNITIES WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BUILD TRUST ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE AND TO OVERCOME SOURCES OF RUPTURE AND LONG-SIMMERING CONFLICTS. WE DO THIS THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PROGRAMS AND TOOLS, INCLUDING THE PEOPLES SUPPER, WHICH BUILDS TRUST AND CONNECTION AMONG PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT IDENTITIES AND PERSPECTIVES, IN ORDER TO FOSTER A CULTURE OF REPAIR; WORKPLACE RESILIENCE, WHICH BRINGS A RELATIONAL APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONS TO BETTER SUPPORT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH GRIEF, WHETHER FROM EXPOSURE ON THE JOB, OR FROM PERSONAL LOSSES, WITH THE GOAL OF TRANSFORMING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURES TOWARD GRIEF READINESS; AND OUR PEER-TO-PEER CARE THROUGH WHICH WE EQUIP ORGANIZATIONS AND NETWORKS WITH TOOLS, RESOURCES, AND A LEARNING COMMUNITY TO CREATE HOLISTIC, PEER-DRIVEN COMMUNITIES OF CARE TO SCALE. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2022 INCLUDE: WE WORKED WITH THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH TO TRAIN AND EQUIP A TEAM OF LAY-LEADERS TO GUIDE CONGREGATIONS EXPERIENCING RUPTURE THROUGH A PROCESS BY WHICH THEY UNEARTH THE PROBLEM BENEATH THE PROBLEM AND HOW TO HELP COMMUNITIES UNCOVER THE STRENGTHS AND VALUE-SETS THEY CAN USE TO ADDRESS IT; WE CO-DESIGNED A 3-PART, 9-HOUR TRAINING AND A 75-PG GUIDEBOOK FOR EDUCATORS LOOKING TO CONNECT WITH PEERS WHO HAVE LOST A STUDENT, IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SCHOOL CRISIS RECOVERY & RENEWAL (SCRR) PROJECT; AND WE HOSTED A PEOPLE'S SUPPER FOR MORE THAN 60 FUNDERS & FELLOW FIELD-BUILDERS AT THE NEW PLURALISTS RETREAT, AND DESIGNED AND FACILITATED A CONVERSATION FOR THAT SAME NETWORK, ON WHEN AND HOW TO USE A STORY-SHARING FRAMEWORK TO TACKLE HARD CONVERSATIONS, IN RESPONSE TO THE SUPREME COURT'S OVERTURNING OF ROE. IN ADDITION TO THE AFOREMENTIONED PARTNERS, OUR 2022 PARTNERS INCLUDED BRIDGING RAINBOW BORDERS, KAUFMAN INTERFAITH INSTITUTE, WEAVE: THE SOCIAL FABRIC PROJECT, THE MENTAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER, 312 MAIN, THE ASSOCIATION OF OREGON COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, AND FAITH MATTERS NETWORK AND RURAL ASSEMBLY.