Despite having to wake up earlier than usual, I attended my first Just Coffee as an intern for the Center for Community Engagement. My supervisor told me that Just Coffee is a place where people of all ages and backgrounds come together, on the second Tuesday of every month at 9am to pretty much talk about anything. Just Coffee is a comfortable place to have fun and chat. Before covid, people met at a local cafe shop in Santa Rosa, but a year into the pandemic, Zoom has been the new replacement to meet up.
I was a bit hesitant going into this meeting. I wasn’t sure what to expect or talk about, but a few minutes in, I realized it was pretty relaxing. I felt comfortable voicing my opinions while also learning new information about the community.
The first guest to join was Vince Harper, from Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County. We briefly discussed the most recent Community Conversations on Race, which focused on multi racial individuals and their experiences. It was very interesting to see their perspectives on the world, as I was also able to relate to a few of their experiences. To learn more about this weekly event go to their Facebook page.
The next guest to join was Ashley Simon Alvarez, Administrative Coordinator for the CCE, who talked about community activities/events related to Black History Month. These events, open to the public, consist of hangouts and mental health meetings, with a few specifically dealing with mental health.
The last guest to join was Iliana Madrigal, Graduate Research Fellow at San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who shared news that has been circulating in the media about songbirds. In Petaluma, people love to put out bowls of water for songbirds. What they don’t realize is the water is contaminated and is spreading some kind of disease that is killing the birds, which is killing the ecosystem.
Overall, Just Coffee was better than I thought. Since we are still quarantining at home, I believe going to events like Just Coffee is a perfect way to connect with the community and to keep in touch with others!