A lot of people look at what’s going on in the world and feel overwhelmed because they want to do something but don’t know where to start. As Jamie Beasley, our guest last week and ED of Working Wheels pointed out, not everyone has the privilege to quit their day job and become a full-time organizer or has the capacity to start a mutual aid fund. But there are roles for all of us in community work, so today on the show we’re going to talk to some people who make community work a part of their everyday lives.
Today we’re joined by Jensen Gelfond, who offers tech support for folks at 12 Baskets Cafe every Tuesday from 10:30 to 12:30 and works with clients at Helpmate on personal cyber security. Jensen talks about how volunteering in his community has helped fill a gap between his professional work providing individualized tech support (often for well-resourced people) and his need for community, the benefits he experiences from his work at 12 Baskets Cafe and Helpmate, and advice about how to find volunteer work that fits your daily life.
In our second segment, we talk to local artist Jennifer Murphy about how she got involved with gleaning (rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste) and the importance of finding balance in your time and the joy and increased capacity that comes along with the busyness of community work.
Join us on Wednesday, Feb 11 when we talk about period poverty and local organizers who are working to make sure everyone has access to menstrual supplies.
Community Links
Jensen Gelfond: Asheville Digital Lifestyle ashevilledigitallifestyle.com
12 Baskets Cafe: ashevillepovertyinitiative.org
Helpmate: https://helpmateonline.org/
Jen Murphy: https://curiousgarden.art/
Street Creature Puppet Collective https://streetcreaturewnc.wordpress.com/
Fringe Fest: https://www.ashevillefringe.org/
Society of St. Andrew: https://endhunger.org/regional-offices/carolinas/
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