Tag Archives: Palo Alto

Being Different Together: Taking the Conversation Deeper

Please join us as we bring together a cross section of people who live, work or worship in Palo Alto to have a series of four active and thought provoking conversations on building and nurturing a community that models respect for differences. The first forum will focus on individual and community identity and our commonalities and differences.

Moderated by Dr. Joseph Brown, Associate Director, Diversity & First Gen Office at Stanford University and Rev. Kaloma Smith, pastor at University AME Zion Church.

RSVP’s required by Monday, January 30 – Space is limited. Please contact Mary Constantino at mary.constantino@cityofpaloalto.org or 650-463-4906.

Through each conversation and the entire series we hope to:

  • Grow personally in our ability to listen to and understand another’s point of view
  • Build a community which can talk through difficult issues
  • Create an opportunity to build relationships with others and develop a dialogue about respect for differences and diversity in Palo Alto
  • Work towards becoming a model city for respect and inclusion; a community of “upstanders” against acts of intolerance

 

 

Palo Alto Faith Leaders

The next gathering of the Palo Alto Faith Leaders will be at Project WeHOPE in East Palo Alto. This is an excellent opportunity for all of us to learn more about the amazing and life-giving work that happens at Project WeHOPE.

The mission of Project WeHOPE is to help the unhoused, homeless and those at-risk in rebuilding their lives through a customized Supportive Housing Program customized to the needs of each client.

Project WeHOPE is an acronym for We Help Other People Excel, and we are a nonprofit organization located in the City of East Palo Alto, California. Through our devotion to helping others, our long-term goal is to help improve the health of East Palo Alto by helping others overcome the critical issues facing homelessness and poverty in our cities.

2016 Caltrain NorcalMLK Celebration Train

Take the Caltrain NorcalMLK Celebration Train, presented by PG&E to the MLK2016 celebration events in San Francisco on January 18 and honor the life and legacy of Dr. King through exciting activities for all.

This new, free commemorative service is a program of the Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation, in partnership with Caltrain and sponsor PG&E, and it signals the region’s dedication to continue the service begun by the late Coretta Scott King and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Santa Clara Valley, who for thirty years operated the MLK Freedom Train.

The Caltrain NorcalMLK Celebration Train will depart from San Jose’s Diridon Station at 9:45am (65 Cahill St., San Jose  95110), making stops at Palo Alto Station at 10:05am (95 University Ave., Palo Alto  94301) and the San Mateo Station at 10:22am (385 First Ave., San Mateo  94401) before heading in to San Francisco.  Once there, celebrants will be able to immediately take part in the MLK2016 March/Parade or head directly to Yerba Buena Gardens to take part in a full day of festivities.  For more information about the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, visit sfmlkday.org.  All of the day’s events are free and open to the public.

Details and registration for FREE tickets can be found at Eventbrite

Interfaith Trip to Israel

We are privileged to lead an interfaith journey to Israel from October 12-22 this year. Our ambitious itinerary will focus on dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Israel and visit sites that are sacred to our three faiths. It will help us understand the conflict that still endures. And it will make us aware of both the wonders and the challenges in modern Israel. Most of all we will engage with key leaders who make their home on Israel. We would love to have you consider joining is, and we would be most grateful if you would help us spread the word!
Co-led by Rev. Dr. Margaret Bolles, Covenant Presbyterian Church and Rabbi Shelley Lewis, Congregation Kol Emeth
Download a flyer:Lewis Israel Trip
More information here.

Palo Alto Faith Leaders Luncheon

Our next luncheon gathering will be on Tuesday, September 1 at noon at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Our host will be The Rev. Margaret Boles. The church will provide lunch and kosher and vegetarian options will be available. Donations for lunch are appreciated, but not required.

In addition to time to socialize, two items will be up for discussion. Margaret Boles will lead a discussion about our interfaith Thanksgiving service (currently scheduled for November 24). Rabbi Shelly Lewis and Rev. Diana Gibson will facilitate a brainstorming session about the possibility of developing a public event with an interfaith panel sharing sacred texts that bear on racism. This would be in support of the wonderful leadership that Rev. Kaloma Smith and others at University AME Zion have already begun to facilitate community conversations about racism after the mass shooting in June at Emanuel AME in Charleston. A recent story on Palo Alto Online summarizes these efforts.

Community Townhall Meeting

What’s Next?

How Can We Make a Difference After the Tragedy in Charleston?

Members of churches and other faith leaders in Palo Alto are invited to join us for the discussion. We are in a time of escalating race based violence and we need to have honest and open dialogue about it so we can move towards a solution.