On the Table
On the Table is an event organized by Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) to encourage community connection. We led On the Table Waterloo Region in 2019, and again in 2024.
Between June 7th and 9th, 2024, we invited people to bring together their friends, colleagues, neighbours, or people in the community over some food to talk about what matters most to them. This event happened across Waterloo Region, where community members were in charge. Each host chose their own venue, arranged for food and drink, and talked about the issues and ideas they found most interesting.
Part of the value of the On the Table discussions is the conversations themselves.
We asked hosts, to weave social infrastructure into their conversations – if it fit, because WRCF is currently focusing our strategic efforts on supporting social infrastructure. We define social infrastructure as the system of organizations, spaces, and experiences that enable people to connect with each other, the bridges necessary to build trust and civic participation, to create a sense of belonging and wellbeing. It’s the system that enables sustainable widespread community development. Here is a link to our webpage with lots more information about social infrastructure.
We also asked hosts to collect feedback from participants in their discussions and share it with us after the conversations. We’ve created an On the Table Report, to provide a snapshot of what’s on people’s minds about what’s happening in Waterloo Region right now. We hope our attempt at synthesizing the diverse views and insights will help people and organizations across our region turn ideas into action.
Read our press release for more details.
If you would like a presentation of the key themes linked to social infrastructure that were highlighted in the On the Table Report, reach out to info@wrcf.ca, and we can coordinate a time to connect with you.
If you have questions or comments about On the Table Waterloo Region, contact onthetable@wrcf.ca.
SUPPORTED BY:
Thank you to our friends at The Chicago Community Trust and Vancouver Foundation for permitting us to adapt On the Table using their materials and insights for Waterloo Region.
