Newtown Interfaith Council (NIC) discussed wanting to solidify the identity for its new “Communities of Compassion” initiative at its February 24 meeting.

Dr John Woodall, alongside Newtown Congregational Church Pastor Matt Crebbin and Love Has a Home Here Founder Bill Donaldson, led discussions with other NIC members about the initiative after its first session at Sticks and Stones Farm in February.

While they celebrated getting “Communities of Compassion” off the ground by hosting the first session, the council hopes to find a name that they feel better fits the goals of the initiative.

“We have something going on where we could problem solve and bring other people together; do something in the community that would make a greater difference,” Crebbin said.

“Communities of Compassion” was designed with the core idea of people coming together and connecting through food and artistic expression.

People would host a session at their home or another private location and invite others in the community. Everyone would bring in food to share as they talk among themselves. The host would then lead exercises that incorporate art, such as dance, music, or poetry, to create connection among the community.

“It’s something that drives home the experience and tools in creating a united community as a bulwark against all the division that we see right now,” Woodall said at the recent NIC meeting. “The rest is conversation, food, and enjoying each other.”

NIC invited people from outside the council and from various faiths to join them on February 6 for a “Communities of Compassion” gathering at Sticks and Stones Farm. Donaldson hosted the potluck gathering, while Woodall led various unity building discussions and exercises.

People from local and nearby communities gathered at the farm, bringing a wide variety of foods and drinks ranging from pizza, salad, and tuna casserole to coffee, soda, and sparkling water for the potluck. The session started with everyone coming together to fill up their plates and talk while they ate at the table.

At the NIC meeting, Woodall said the name of the initiative “shouldn’t be dated, clunky, or vague.” These are issues Woodall says he has run into before, as “Communities of Compassion” is the spiritual successor of his past endeavors. It has also been known as “The Unity Project,” “Soul Cafe,” “21st Century Conversations,” and most recently as “Chain of Love.”

Woodall hopes to get a name down soon, he said, as people based in Washington D.C., Minnesota, and Illinois have reached out to him expressing interest in running their own version of the initiative where they live.

“It seems to me like we could be defining a space that the country is really looking for,” Woodall said.

Donaldson believed it would be a good idea to reach out to members of the community, whether through Facebook or email, and get their feedback on a new name.

“If we’re doing something for the community, the community should probably be involved,” Donaldson said. “And then it helps us too because they’ll feel more connected to it.”

The other NIC members present during Thursday afternoon’s meeting concurred, and agreed to reach out to the community in the near future for feedback.

For more information on the NIC or “Communities of Compassion,” the NIC encourages people to follow its Facebook page.

=====

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.