Community Connection: Advanced Level

One organization building and supporting community in a profound way

About a year ago, after a major closet and house cleanout, we were left with a lot of supplies and clothes that needed to go somewhere. I had a little extra time on my hands and had started wondering if there was a more impactful and sustainable way to donate items instead of just the standard Goodwill drop off. (No offense to anyone who uses this; sometimes it’s the only option and I fully understand that. I just had a feeling that there was maybe a more direct way to support my immediate community and I had the privilege of time and resources to figure it out.)

When there are just a few things I’m trying to offload, I will take the time to post them in my neighborhood’s Buy Nothing group, a beautiful example of community connection in and of itself. The purpose of a Buy Nothing group is “Buy nothing. Share abundance. Build community.” Every neighborhood has a separate group (usually on Facebook) and members can post things that they no longer need or post requests for items to see if they can get it from a neighbor first. There are some general guidelines that try to encourage actual connection: let your posts “simmer” for 24 hours to give everyone a chance to see it; they highly discourage blanket announcements of things being left out on the sidewalk - they prefer for a neighbor to interact directly with another neighbor when facilitating a pick-up. I am an active user of this group, perusing it as if I were shopping at the store about once a week and also using it when I need something specific, with some hits and some misses. For example, within a few hours of posting a need for cardboard to lay over our lawn for a big landscaping project, someone replied that their flower shop had plenty for us to take. In another example, my search for a water bottle cage for my bike has been unanswered for weeks.

A classic example of an offer in my group

Almost every time, the interactions are extremely pleasant and downright neighborly - sometimes people will just “bid” on something they want, but often they’ll give a quick explainer of why. When getting rid of a Taylor Swift child’s costume (a leftover from my clothing swap), someone talked about how their daughter will be thrilled to use it for Halloween next year. Sometimes the “free” nature of the items leads to less commitment and follow-through: I’ve had the rare occasion of someone bidding on something, we set up a pick-up time, and then they never show. The idea is that because you are interacting with members of your community, there’s a little more social pressure to adhere to some standard rules of decorum, and it’s pretty successful most of the time.

What a lovely way to build community and to, once again, remove reliance on systems and infrastructures that may be less reliable these days (cough cough late stage capitalism). This isn’t necessarily the be-all/end-all of community connection - I’ve never formed a deep, lasting friendship with anyone from this group, and I’ve heard from other groups that there are sometimes people who get so bothered by the rules (either following them too strictly or not following them) that it leads to tense neighborly squabbles. Regardless of its drawbacks, I love the fact that there is this simple system that encourages neighbors to rely on each other a little more and, one at a time, removes some of those connections to capitalism and money and reminds us that sometimes what you need can be taken care of in other ways.

Reader, this isn’t even the group I wanted to talk about today! This was meant to be a quick aside for a different story. 😅

So, back to the real topic - lots of things that needed new homes, and an interest in finding different avenues to direct them to. This led to me creating my own Google Doc of local Portland orgs that took different things and redistributed them to various communities (homeless/houseless people, immigrants and refugees, low income groups, survivors of assault). Through that research, I came across Rahab’s Sisters and was delighted to see that they were taking many of the clothing items I had and they were located in my neighborhood. Without knowing much else about the organization, besides that they offered services for women, trans, and nonbinary people marginalized by poverty, houselessness, sex work, violence, and substance use, I set up a drop-off appointment with them. When I arrived to drop off my clothes, I was greeted by the Program Coordinator for Supplies, who immediately offered to give me a tour of the facility. She spent about 15 minutes taking me around the office and explaining to me in detail what the organization did and what they were working on. I was so surprised to be treated with such hospitality - I was only donating a few bags of clothing, not dropping thousands of dollars in donations! But this was the first of many experiences where I would see Rahab’s Sisters embodying their motto of radical hospitality.

From the Rahab’s Sisters website

Another opportunity to interact with Rahab’s came when I was able to attend their annual fundraising event, Sparkle Party. There, I sat next to another staff member, who so easily and genuinely engaged with me and everyone around her, talking about her experiences and the ethos of Rahab’s. Desiree, the Executive Director, spoke beautifully and eloquently about this idea of radical hospitality and I was beginning to see it in action once again - this organization truly and genuinely engages in radical community building, tearing down structures of exclusion and judgement and facilitating a space where all are truly welcome to connect. The people who come to their boutique days or community gathering days are called guests and they are treated as such - with care, respect, and a true recognition of the inherent value and worth of all humans.

I was so inspired by everything I witnessed that I have since started volunteering a few times a month to engage in this community. Every time I come, I am surrounded by the radical hospitality that is so deeply woven into the organization’s bones. The ease at which the staff interacts with each other and interacts with volunteers - there is no difference between us. I have felt so welcomed every time I am there by all of these little moments and interactions that all add up to something much more profound. They are building community connection in such a radical way - guests are the same as staff members who are the same as volunteers who are the same as donors who are the same as neighbors in the community. Everyone is treated the same exact way and can engage in the services in the same exact way.

From the Rahab’s Sisters website

One day, while setting up for one of the boutiques, a volunteer exclaimed to a staff member, “Wow, the guests are so lucky to have Rahab’s Sisters! What would they do without you?” and, without a beat, the staff member said, “They would still be gathering in community without us, it would just be in a different location.” The recognition of the strength of community and the total humility was astounding - this organization was not benevolently “saving lives” rather, they were just offering up another space for community to gather and exist. A thread in the broader web of community connection, playing its part and contributing to the deepening of community all around.

“Radical inclusion invites us to see each other’s full humanity”. What a beautiful way to build deep, meaningful community connection. I am so grateful to witness this, to engage with it in such a tangible way with Rahab’s. May we all find ways to see each other’s full humanity, drop the judgements and systems that keep us from truly connecting, and deepen those connections everywhere we can.