It might be a challenge to find the commonality in chili peppers, ghost stories, and workforce development, but they were all elements found in the Jefferson Avenue Center’s annual progressive lunch. Seventy-four change agents turned out for appetizers at the Thurber House, fajitas at Action for Children, and inspiration from next-door neighbors.
The centerpieces at lunch were chili pepper plants, it was the perfect time of year to revisit the Night the Ghost Got In at Thurber House, and the whole gang was pleased to welcome Eckerd Workforce Development as the newest tenant organization on the campus.
We learned that if an organization needs a background check at the most competitive price available, Action for Children is prepared to provide it; if clients are at risk of eviction, Community Mediation Services can help prevent a family from becoming homeless; Columbus Landmarks Foundation’s Home Preservation Program assists homeowners in the preservation, repair, and maintenance of houses 50 years and older; and the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio is collaborating with Peace-Builders and Community Refugee and Immigration Services to host a workshop about the DACA program, the recipients in our city, and what can be done to help keep DACA alive.
The annual Progressive Lunch always comes with a serving of “I had no idea!”
The Jefferson Avenue Center: where neighbors form unlikely alliances that drive social innovation.