Ecumenical and Interreligious

Collective Care in the Face of Violent Trauma: A Guidebook for Gathering

August 17, 2017
Ecumenical and Inter-religious Relations

Since January 20, the People’s Supper has hosted hundreds of suppers in cities and towns across the country, ranging from Littleton, CO, Cullowhee, NC, to Portage, MI, in order to strengthen our individual and collective resilience, and to repair the breach in our interpersonal relationships across political, ideological, and identity differences. 

To quote Maya Angelou, we believe that “food is important not just as fuel for the body, but as devices for the growth of the soul.” Using shared meals – that rarest of rituals that all of us, whoever we are and wherever we come from, have in common – we invite people of different backgrounds to go beneath the headlines, and to understand the real stories that have shaped who we are. In a moment in which many in our communities face more extreme struggle, the supper table is a uniquely simple and sacred space through which we can find real nourishment and real healing. 

Ours is a collaborative project led by three organizations: the Faith Matters Network, a people of color led collective working to equip 21st century faith leaders with the tools to build healthy, equitable communities; Hollaback!, a global, people-powered movement to end harassment; and e Dinner Party, a community of mostly 20- and 30-somethings out to transform our most isolating experiences into sources of meaningful connection and forward movement.

Our partners include dozens of organizations on the leading edge of social change, including #LoveArmy, Dream Defenders, Evangelicals for Social Action, Auburn Seminary, Red Letter Christians, Interfaith Youth Core, Embarc, Speaking Down Barriers, the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, and more.

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