How Does a PLACE Make Community?
Blog #4 By Josh Botkin UC Sophomore Journalism Major
Where do we go for community? We spend most of our time at work, school, or home. But what time are we actually spending in the community? And when we do spend time in the community, are we really meeting people or are we just surrounded by people without actually interacting with them?
One of the most common examples of this is a coffee shop. The space is usually set up wonderfully to find community there, with comfy chairs, tables, and maybe even board games. People are constantly coming in, and possibly even spending a few hours. However, the space is typically not used for community. Instead we go there to get coffee, find a table by ourselves, pop in the headphones, then open up the laptop to get work done.
Now what if there was a place with the same setup and more, but… it was there to create community rather than a place to be by yourself surrounded by people? That’s what Community Happens Here offers. It’s a place designed to benefit the community by making it easy and available for people to come together and connect.
How? From its entrance, designed to be a continuation of the neighborhood sidewalk that leads you to the front doors into the cafe, to the ample amount of workspaces on the first and second floor that are available for work, meetings, and holding a variety of events. All of it is designed to be as welcoming and inviting to anyone walking by to come on in, while also providing a space that encourages interactions. It is a place with a great balance of a community cafe, shared work space, and other areas that welcome hospitality.
Devoe, Ruth Anne, and BMM
This week I got to hear from one of Community Happens Here partners and Board Member Devoe Sherman. Devoe met Ruth Anne a few years ago at a mentor program he was leading. She loved what he was doing and wanted to get connected. Today, Devoe uses one of Community Happens Here’s meeting spaces for BMM, which stands for Black Males Man Cave. He founded BMM to be a time of fellowship where men can come together to share ideas in a safe space while also being able to talk about issues that may not usually be brought up.
Devoe is a great example of someone who uses this space for the purpose for which it was designed, to bring the community together through conversations in a space large enough to provide a safe place for groups to gather. You can set up a place to look like it’s made for the community, but at Community Happens Here you can actually see it taking place.
Along with Devoe many individuals, groups, and organizations have found this hidden treasure of hospitality at CHH. Including the local schools PTO, 1 on 1 coaches, Entrepreneur startups, non-profits, community engagement meetings, business retreats, cub/girls scouts, book clubs, doctorate studies, and more!
Community Happens Here exists to give their neighborhood a place to share gifts and passions with neighbors and to connect people across differences. CHH is a donation-based non-profit and extends the invite for people to use the space. If you’d like a tour or have an idea for using the space, you can contact Ruth Anne through email at: ruthannewolfe@communityhappenshere.org.