I hope you’re dry. There were Flash Flood warnings all day yesterday as the rain came down in buckets. I was thankful to be inside, having my car to go back-and-forth as needed. My back and forth was to a training called Courageous Conversations: Beyond Diversity. Thanks to the Decatur Education Foundation, this training is being offered to teachers, school professionals, parents, and community members. It is a centering, vulnerable, learning, growing, uncomfortable space. It is incredibly valuable work that must be done. It must be done in order to create an equitable society for all of us. There is so much work that needs to be done around dismantling systemic inequality around race. As one participant in the training said, “This work is poignantly simple and profoundly necessary.” Stay tuned as Compassionate Atlanta will be offering several programs around this topic, as well as our important work with the DeKalb and Fulton County remembrance projects.

As this morning started with a light snow, I think of the people waking up on the streets with no place to go, no car to carry them back-and-forth. So as we carry on this journey together, growing, learning, being uncomfortable, put yourself in a space of growth. Do something. There are many ways to show up, to question, to be courageous, to make our communities better.

Need a suggestion to get you started…

• Cold Weather Shelter Volunteers: Please keep an eye on the Weather Channel and consider signing up. See recruitment below.
• Cold Nights In Decatur: A Home for Everyone in DeKalb has partnered with Decatur First United Methodist Church to offer a cold-weather shelter in Decatur for nights that are below 35 degrees. Volunteers are needed to provide food and to host the evening and overnight shifts. To volunteer at the Decatur First Methodist building, you must first complete a background check and read their safety information. If you have any questions, please contact Roberta Goldbaugh at rgoldbaugh@bellsouth.net, Annie Godfrey at agodfrey555@gmail.com or Debra Robinson at debralrobinson@bellsouth.net. Here are the links:

– A background check at this link.
– And a safety training at this link.
After completing these items, you can signup here.

So stay warm, push yourself and go do good,

Leanne

Leanne Rubenstein
Compassion Cultivator/Co-Director
Compassionate Atlanta