Listening Circles

After a few months of one-on-one listening sessions for The Listening Project, we were interested in convening opportunities for group listening and dialogue through Listening Circles.

Our first Listening Circle met on Monday, November 1st at Brittany Hanson’s home. We shared stories and insights about the following;

What were the first things you heard about the neighborhood?
What was your first interaction with the neighborhood?
When was a time you connected with your neighbors?
When you think of healthy community what words come to mind? Write them down.
When you imagine this community as healthy what does it look like?

Upcoming Events:

Listening Training at Creighton University
Tuesday, November 16th
7:30 – 9:30PM
(this session is full)

Listening Circle
Tuesday, November 30th

December Listening Training
Tuesday, December 14th
7:00-9:00PM

Upcoming Listening Project Events

Saturday, August 14th
Meet-Up @ 11-Worth Cafe
7:30-9:30AM
Drop in anytime between 7:30 and 9:30AM to meet other Listening Project folks. If you are looking for a partner for the project here is your chance.

Tuesday, August 24th
Listening Project Training #3
7:00-9:30PM @ inCOMMON
1258 S. 13th Street

Wednesday, August 25th
Wednesday in the Park – Bike Mania!
5:00-7:00PM @ Park East Park
27th & St. Mary’s
*This is an inCOMMON and Park East Neighborhood Association event, but if you’d like to meet and hang out with neighbors this is a perfect opportunity.

Listening to Brian and Gail

Tim and I had a great interview with our neighbors Brian and Gail last Saturday. They are part of the team from the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association and Ford Birthsite Neighborhood Assocation that installed the Hands to Harvest Community Garden this summer. There are already 19 plots growing delicious, organic veggies.

Brian had some great insights about applying and receiving neighborhood grants. Both mentioned, as so many of our other interviewees have, the importance of diversity in the neighborhood. This is one the reasons Brian and Gail (after looking at the Dundee neighborhood and a few other places) decided to move here. They are both interested in maintaining it.

During the interview Brian and Gail’s chickens joined us. Yes, they have city chickens. They are currently chicken coop experts, so if anyone is interested…

Updates
We are going to have a brainstorming session next Thursday, 8:00-9:00PM (July 22nd). If you would like to start listening around the neighborhood this is the meeting for you! We will make a master list of all the people we would like to listen to, where, when, and how. Please email me, Cait@inCOMMONcd.org for meeting details.

cheers,

Cait

Cool Article

Check out this article, Public Displays of Attention by Genine Koun Lentine.

She shares her experiences with public Listening Booths…

“One afternoon when we were at Dolores Park, I was handing out fliers on the hill and handed one to a guy on his cell phone. He interrupted his call to ask me about what we were doing, and then got back on with his friend, “This is the coolest thing. This chick just came up and said she’d listen to me.” He got off the phone and kept asking me,”Will you really just listen to what I have to say?”

cheers,

Cait

Listening Skills!

Last night was our second Listening Project Training, and the energy in the room was fantastic. Brittany, Calvin, and I were so impressed by the new folks who came to get trained. We had members of neighborhood faith communities and a worker from a neighborhood women’s rehabilitation center, photographers and writers, organizers and college students… What a great mixture!

We shared a video clip at the training last night. I’ll put it up here on Friday, but I wanted to mention it because it’s bringing so many smiles to my face today. The video was a clip from Arlene’s listening session. She talked about her favorite memory of her neighborhood; sharing candy and ice-cream with eleven kids in her apartment. She said with a laugh, “when they came to the door and asked if they could come in, well… we couldn’t say no! They sat down and ate ice cream with us, and when they were finished they left!”

We are ready for July 10th which is our next Listening Booth at the Park Avenue Community Meal. We are going to set up lawn chairs and picnic blankets outside, and give people a chance to be heard before the food is ready.

Here are the deets:

Saturday, July 10th
10:30AM – 11:30AM
Park Avenue and Harney

Another update, we now have a mailing list. If you’d like to receive updates via email let us know, we’ll add you.  listeningproject@incommoncd.org

Stay tuned….

Cait