I loved the Café format to gather important information from the community. I’m passioned about working with and pro the community. People at the Café feel welcome, heard, inclusive, safe and inclusive.
Maricela Rodriguez
Community CaFé leader
Time and time again I have witnessed the power of a Community Café disarm and remove racial barriers, generational gaps, and professional bias. I’ve watched their consistent approach level the playing field for every individual in the room; no matter the accolades, culture or community environment. I believe that Community Cafés can be instrumental in helping our society have the tough conversations, especially for my community. I am a 30-year-old, African American, women, wife and mother. My dream and deep passion is to see healing take place for my people. We cannot even begin to mend some of the gaps in our thinking and pain in heart, without first identifying what they are. We cannot stand in the gap for our children, if we do not believe in our capability to stand. We cannot begin to trust in partnership with community-based-organizations, without first experiencing authentic unity. Community Cafés can be an answer!
Tiesha Clark​
Community CaFé leader
As a parent with kids with special needs, one of the things I learned in this group is we need to be educated as a family, parents and community…we need those kind of things (Cafés) to be included in the community, to help children be successful in the future. I would like to impact other parents to have this feeling to want to know more about their children.
Parent Host
Washington State
We're in a place in society where there's so much negative that I really want to strive to make a difference and a better place for my kids. The questions don’t teach but sitting next to someone new does.
Parent Host​
Nebraska
I have learned that there are many other people out there that are feeling similar emotions about the community and within their families. I’ve learned strategies and activities that we can do as a family. The support has been a big plus for me in coming to the Cafés.

At the last Café, we discussed the school shooting in Connecticut and it was nice to have a forum to talk about how it’s affected me, how we talk to our families about it or why some of us didn’t talk to our kids about it. We talked a lot about family traditions – where we get our support from and it was nice to hear different things.
Parent Host​
CAPITAL REGION NEW YORK state
My dream is to see welcoming communities full of families that feel connected to one another and supported. The Café process uniquely gives people a space to... communicate intimately and discover their role within their community and their strengths as well as those of the people around them every day.
Community Partner
Nebraska
When we broke up into groups, we could overhear others and I overheard my daughter say things that I wondered why hasn’t she said that to my face, so it sparks opportunities for us to have conversations about raising the kids and what’s going on in the community.
Grandparent Host
North Country New York State​
It was exciting to see authentic ideas generated and take shape through the conversations that occurred at this Café. It was interesting to have the perspective of various individuals (parents, community partners, administration, school staff) as each person had unique insight to bring to the table. Different people contributed different ideas and opinions that allowed the event to take shape in an organic way.
Community Partner
Lincoln Community