An update on the Education Program
As Asheville Poverty Initiative enters a time of transition, the education and advocacy programs are also undergoing transition, and the position of Education Coordinator, which Mae held, will remain paused while we continue the search for API’s new Executive Director. The Education Program itself will continue to operate in a less-formal way in the daily work we do at Asheville Poverty Initiative and 12 Baskets Cafe. We will pause Reality of Poverty Walks and Panels, and group volunteer opportunities at the Cafe. However, the work of creating space for the kinds of crucial conversations that heal poverty and reduce stigma continues. Volunteer orientation for individuals who want to help out in the cafe will continue on the first Thursday of every month. And as always, all are welcome to come eat.
We welcome folks from all walks of life and levels of resources to come visit the cafe, have a meal and a conversation - or two or three - that educate about a reality many resourced neighbors only see from the outside, through the lens of stigma. The act of sharing a meal with someone you may not have had the occasion to approach, opens up a space for understanding, a space to be humans together sharing a world we all care about, and to which we all belong.
Our writing group, which meets every Friday at the cafe offers another educational opportunity to share words, poetry, stories and ideas with one another, just as nourishing as food. In the poems and stories written on a shared prompt, perspectives and realities are articulated in compelling and revolutionary ways, opening eyes and hearts to truths that often hide in plain sight, but are familiar as soon as they come to light.
API’s street paper, The Intersection, continues to evolve. We invite all our neighbors to support and contribute to this effort - and there are many ways to contribute - as we explore new avenues of production and distribution. We expect a new issue - our 6th! - to come out this fall with articles that shed light and share perspectives on the most pressing issues we are facing in our neighborhoods and the Asheville community. The pages also highlight creative work - art, photography, poetry and humor - showing the diversity and depth of human beings who rarely get the platform to showcase their brilliance.
In these ways, we continue to nourish and offer opportunities to learn about and understand the reality of poverty and its effects on individuals and communities. Thank you for being part of Asheville Poverty Initiative’s life and community. The Board and all our community members look forward to continuing this on-going life-affirming conversation.
