What Happened This Summer
By: Josh Bodkin, Blog #2 in a series. This summer Community Happens Here had a lot going on; from “Sidewalk Hospitality” to a week of fun called “Fantastical Adventure Week,” and more! These events helped bring the whole community together. This was in addition to the ongoing workspace, meeting and rental spaces that CHH offers.
What did it look like? If you were ever walking past 6238 Montgomery Road on Tuesday or Saturday this summer you probably noticed the friendly faces outside of Community Happens Here greeting you with snow cones, coffee, games, and a group art project. That is Sidewalk Hospitality - one of the many ways CHH brought the community together and provided growing experiences for neighborhood youth. The students with the friendly faces behind the stations get experience with communication, hospitality, and serving their communities. If you continued inside to the cafe you got to meet some of the baristas who have gone through a business training program that gives them real life experience that will transfer over to many business settings. And of course don’t forget that anyone in the community can stop by to enjoy the complimentary coffee and snow cones!
The annual daytime portion of the Ridge Day festival was canceled this summer. So instead Community Happens Here decided to put on a Ridge Day Fun Run. There were no prizes and the race wasn’t timed. Its sole purpose was to remind people to come out and socialize with their neighbors, celebrating the community in Pleasant Ridge. And it was a big success! Over 200 people came out to compete in the 5K and kids 1-mile race. The race ended near Community Happens Here and the runners received donuts and coffee after they crossed the finish line. The race was free for anyone who wanted to run, and there was a donation box set up for anyone who wanted to donate to the local schools. After the race, CHH’s weekly Sidewalk Hospitality was set up and had one of its biggest turnouts ever.
This led into a big week for Community Happens Here, celebrating the end of the summer with the back-to-school “Midsummer Night's Dream: A Week of Fantastical Adventure.” The events throughout the week were designed to remind people to slow down from a constantly busy schedule and have some fun while leaving your worries at the door. Starting off this fantastical adventure week was an open house on Saturday and a kids’ tea party on Sunday. Monday, the “Fantastic Four” CHH summer interns led a night of adventure with 4th-8th graders, and special Paralympic Medalist guest star Emma Crayner. The theme of the night was “Our differences Make Us Stronger.” Local photographers came out Wednesday night to offer the community wonderful professional photo shoots for a low-cost donation. The Ladies Tea Party took place on Thursday, where one woman wrote on Facebook after attending the event, “Yesterday, I went to a fairy tea party [...] and met some incredibly interesting people. We wore crowns, not masks. Talked about birth [...], and death, and autism, and magic, and experiences we love. Drank mint tea and ate snacks. I saved the names of [...] books I'm excited to read. I heard about [...] how [...] groups establish trust and community before engaging in business and decisions. It brought insight to a frustrating situation at work… Then [the founder] gave me a hug. Women do our best healing while wearing nylon fairy wings. This morning, I finally woke up smiling again.” This is exactly what CHH had in mind when planning these events, trying to create events that would take people’s minds off of work and back on to the community. It was amazing to hear the responses from folks who attended the events and how the mission behind them happened. The fantastical adventure week ended on Friday with about 100 people coming out to watch Trolls World Tour.
It's hard to believe all this and more took place over the summer at Community Happens Here. Each event was a true testament to the impact CHH has in bringing together the Community in Pleasant Ridge. From hosting large events like the Fun Run or Movie night to tea parties and the Sidewalk Hospitality’s constant welcoming presence on the streets, they all show the love and compassion CHH brings to Pleasant Ridge. Next week’s blog we get to hear from the Founder of Community Happens Here as they kickoff the new season with an Open House on Saturday the 18th. Come out then to see the cafe, available work spaces, and experience a Sidewalk Hospitality first hand!
