Welcome to a grassroots response to this time of "crisis".  Here's a quick summary of what's happened so far. We hope you can join us.

1. A group of process-oriented facilitators and organizers, meeting in an ongoing collective called A Circle Group, sensed that many people were feeling rocked by the "crisis", and wanted to do something.
2. Four of us sent out a survey asking people how they felt, and what they'd like to do.
3. Based on the responses, we sent out a call for a community gathering to explore grassroots, relationship-based action to support each other.
4. We created a process intended to address the expressed need for building connection with others at a personal level, learning more about what others are doing, and sharing skills for trust-building and facilitation.
5. For a variety of reasons, far more people came than anticipated: over 100, and we had to turn some away for lack of space.  This meant the space was cramped, but also that energy was very high.  Clearly, lots of people are ready to act in this way.  Our process seemed to work for some people and in some ways, but not others.

Now, our goal is for people to have the skills and confidence to help their networks become circles of trust-based sharing and support, and to link those together in a growing ecology throughout Portland.

We want this to take off far beyond anything we (or anyone) could ever coordinate!

If you have similar goals, please join us on Nov 14.  We will be using feedback from the first session to figure out how different people -- from new folk feeling scared and seeking help, to experienced organizers; from action-oriented alphas to relation-oriented tenders; across diverse issues, and race and class and gender divides -- how we can support each other to step forward from where we are, asking questions all the while.

If you are especially interested in sharing and spreading facilitation and other process skills, please come to the Che Room in St Francis at 5:30pm on Friday the 14th, before the larger gathering.    To get to the Che room, walk up to near the Red & Black and cross in to the park and look for 1131 on the right hand side, head up the stairs, through the double doors.