Town of Amherst Launches Community Heart & Soul Initiative with Community Dinner on November 6

Source: amherstma.gov

The Town of Amherst is launching a new initiative, Community Heart & Soul, with a Community Dinner on Friday, November 6, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Bangs Community Center. Everyone is welcome to join this event to learn about the initiative, connect with neighbors, and enjoy a meal featuring food from local businesses. 

Amherst Community Heart & Soul invites community members to come together to reflect on what they value most about Amherst, imagine the future they want to see, and collaborate on how to achieve it. This initiative builds on Amherst’s ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion, and community engagement, including the foundational work of the Community Safety Working Group and the recent Liberatory Visioning process led by Dr. Barbara Love. 

“Amherst residents have already spoken up, telling the Town what they need, what they envision, and what changes they believe are necessary,” said Bonnie Isman, Community Heart & Soul Core Team Member, League of Women Voters Member, and Former Jones Library Director. “Now, Amherst Community Heart & Soul will bring everyone together to collaborate on achieving these goals and building the Amherst we want to see.” 

“The aim of this project is to bring Amherst community members, organizations, and businesses together to collectively solve previously identified concerns,” explained Pamela Nolan Young, Director of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department. “It is about forming community, coalition building, and co-creation. The DEI Department is currently helping launch this initiative, but ultimately, it will be resident-led and operate independently of town government.” 

The Town of Amherst received a $10,000 Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant to fund this initiative. Community Heart & Soul® is a discovery process that helps small cities and towns identify the priorities, places, and traditions that matter most to the people who live, work, and play there—and turn those elements into actions to build a brighter future for current and future generations. Developed and field-tested for over a decade in partnership with more than 140 small cities and towns across America, Community Heart & Soul is a proven process for engaging communities in shaping their future. 

“Amherst is a town that embraces a diverse range of perspectives,” stated JuPong Lin, Community Heart & Soul Core Team Member and Interdisciplinary Artist. “And, like any small town, many residents have not felt included in town decisions. Let’s be real…there’s been a lot of conflict within the town around local, national, and international issues. How could we avoid it? Nationwide, we’re facing the worst divisiveness we’ve ever seen. Community Heart & Soul hopefully provides an opportunity to gather and share our stories and work through our differences together.” 

Tonika Reed-Prempeh, Project Coordinator for Amherst Community Heart & Soul, added: “Amherst Community Heart & Soul will foster positive coalition building and community networking through events, storytelling, and deep listening. By bringing people together now, we can create a lasting network of mutual support for when our neighbors need one another. This work has already begun within our Core Team, and we are hoping this initiative will eventually grow and evolve into the Amherst Community Action Network, or Amherst C.A.N. We need everyone (including you!) at the table, so we can begin to break down silos and build something we all can be proud of.” 

Everyone has a voice in shaping Amherst’s future. Everyone is welcome to attend and join this initiative, including individuals, institutions, organizations, and businesses across the community.  

Table to Table: A Community Dinner

Friday, November 6 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA 01002

Join Amherst Community Heart & Soul to share a meal, meet fellow community members, and talk about how we can help shape Amherst’s future. This event is a culinary adventure throughout the Bangs Community Center with food from Atkins Farms Country Market, Pasta e Basta, and Carefree Cakery. During the event. attendees will learn about Community Heart & Soul, share their experiences in Amherst, and learn how to get involved.  

Please note there will be two “seatings,” one that begins at 5 pm and one that begins at 6 pm. Registration is required to attend this event. Childcare is available upon registration. 

Register Here or at amherstma.gov/Heart-and-Soul-Dinner

For more information about Amherst Community Heart & Soul, contact the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by email at DEI@amherstma.gov or by phone at 413-259-3064.