Promoting CommUNITY at the Eugene Family YMCA
Overview
This inspiring educational series invites us to explore ways to build awareness, compassion and kindness in our everyday lives. Each month centers around a new theme, offering opportunities to connect beyond our differences, foster meaningful relationships, and grow as better neighbors and community members. We will explore the monthly themes taking guidance from:
Guest speakers. We'll hear from experts who bring fresh insights on each month’s theme, helping us better understand and support one another.
Book clubs. We'll dive into curated reads tied to the monthly topic, sparking thought-provoking and heartfelt conversations. Participants must purchase their own copies of the books; if this cost is a barrier and library copies aren't available, please reach out to the event coordinator, Cass Averill.
Together, let’s gain the skills to be active allies and create a stronger, more unified community. Join us and be part of something meaningful!
You're invited to join just one session or multiple sessions throughout the year!
Y membership not required to attend. Please sign up for a FREE COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP, which grants you access to free programs like this, before your register for a session.
Drop-ins welcome! No prior attendance required—join us for any that interest you.
Know a teenager who might be interested in this offering? We are also hosting a parallel series for middle- and high-schoolers!
Themes
February: Understanding Racial Equity
March: Gender Equity and Empowerment
April: Disability Awareness and Advocacy
May: Ageism and Age Discrimination Awareness
September: The History and Experience of Refugees and Immigrants in America
October: LGBTQ+ Inclusion
November: Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Inclusion
Non-Y members are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions, but will need to sign up for a free Community Membership in order to register.
April: Disability Awareness and Advocacy
Join us as we explore Disability Awareness and Advocacy, focusing on the importance of respectful, inclusive language and the barriers individuals with disabilities face in our communities. We'll also discuss how we can become better allies and advocates for people with disabilities. This event, part of the Promoting CommUNITY series hosted by the Eugene Family YMCA, invites us to learn, connect, and take meaningful action to build a more inclusive and supportive world. Don't miss this opportunity to connect, grow, and become the best community members and neighbors we can be!
Book Discussion Meeting
DATE: Friday, Apr. 25, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Please arrive 10 minutes early.- LOCATION: Kalapuya Community Room (first floor)
- COST: Free
- BOOK*: Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig
*Tsunami Books has generously partnered with the Y to offer a 20% discount to the first 10 customers who purchase Sitting Pretty from them! Just mention the YMCA book club when you check out.
Summary: Growing up as a paralyzed girl during the 90s and early 2000s, Rebekah Taussig only saw disability depicted as something monstrous (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), inspirational (Helen Keller), or angelic (Forrest Gump). None of this felt right; and as she got older, she longed for more stories that allowed disability to be complex and ordinary, uncomfortable and fine, painful and fulfilling.
Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and how the pervasiveness of ableism in our everyday media directly translates to everyday life.Disability affects all of us, directly or indirectly, at one point or another. By exploring this truth in poignant and lyrical essays, Taussig illustrates the need for more stories and more voices to understand the diversity of humanity. Sitting Pretty challenges us as a society to be patient and vigilant, practical and imaginative, kind and relentless, as we set to work to write an entirely different story.
May: Ageism and Age Discrimination Awareness
Join us as we talk about ageism, how it shows up in our lives and society, from everyday biases to bigger systemic issues. We'll dive into how these ageist attitudes affect our mental and physical health, and how they shape the way we see ourselves as we age. Plus, we'll explore how our age, identity and how we view ourselves all play a role in the aging process. This event, part of the Promoting CommUNITY series hosted by the Eugene Family YMCA, is a chance to learn, connect, and take action toward a more welcoming and supportive community for all ages. Don't miss out, come be part of the conversation and help make a difference!
OPTIONAL READING: This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism by Ashton Applewhite
If you would like to read about the topics we will be dicussing ahead of time, we invite you to read This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism by Ashton Applewhite. In this book, Ashton Applewhite challenges the deep-seated biases and stereotypes surrounding aging, urging us to rethink what it means to grow older. With wit, research, and personal insight, she exposes the social and economic forces that fuel age discrimination and offers a powerful call to action for building a more inclusive, age-positive world.
Speaker and Book Discusion Meeting
- DATE: Tuesday, May. 13, 4 to 6 p.m. Please arrive 10 minutes early if possible.
- LOCATION: Kalapuya Community Room (first floor). Light refreshments provided!
- COST: Free
- SPEAKER: TBA
- OPTIONAL READING*: This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism by Ashton Applewhite
*Tsunami Books has generously partnered with the Y to offer a 20% discount to the first 10 customers who purchase This Chair Rocks from them! Just mention the YMCA book club when you check out.
Summary: In This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, Ashton Applewhite challenges the deep-seated biases and stereotypes surrounding aging, urging us to rethink what it means to grow older. With wit, research, and personal insight, she exposes the social and economic forces that fuel age discrimination and offers a powerful call to action for building a more inclusive, age-positive world. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to challenge assumptions, spark meaningful conversations, and embrace aging with confidence and curiosity. Join us for a lively discussion as we unpack Applewhite's eye-opening manifesto and explore ways to disrupt ageism in our own lives!
