Upcoming WRITE ON Workshops

A stride this summer with a variety of interconnected programming that enables being listened to and seeking healing, creativity and transformation through expression.

Upcoming WRITE ON Workshops

Tuesday July 11th at 1:00pm-3:30pm​
CAO’s Masten Resource Center at 1423 Fillmore Avenue, Buffalo
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Tuesday July 23rd at 6:00pm-8:30pm​
Rise of WNY at 1643 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo
Details and Sign-up at https://kindfools.org/writeon or by replying to this email.

Our closing celebration as part of “Heavy” Reflections
“Heavy” Reflections

Inspired by Kiese Laymon’s memoir Heavy and supported by Just Buffalo Literary Center’s Civil Writes Project, people came together to engage with the material throughout this spring, to use it as a lens to view their own lives, and to build community.
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In our closing celebration at Fitz Books & Waffles, we presented drafts of the book of poetry Heavy Reflections we are publishing with the Buffalo Latino Village Press, and the poets performed their powerful works.
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From the introduction of our book:

“Kiese Laymon inspired us to address our lived experiences of trauma, familial relationships, racism, grief, resilience and hope. Along the way, we shared from our own experience and we listened to each other deeply. We gained insight about the text, our fellow participants and ultimately ourselves. This was a rich and rewarding process. With humility, vulnerability and boldness, we offer you some of the fruits of our journey together.”

Several of the poet-presenters whose poems are being published in Heavy Reflections
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WRITE ON:

Encouraged by the response to our “Heavy” Reflections program – a series of intuitive writing workshops around a common theme, we are embarking on WRITE ON – Home – a series of intuitive writing workshops around the theme of “home.” These workshops, offered in partnership with the New York Immigration Coalition (https://www.nyic.org/), will be offered primarily to immigrants such as refugees and asylum seekers and with interpreters for at least Arabic, Burmese and Spanish. For more information, please reach out to us or check back at https://kindfools.org in the coming weeks.

Memorial for Jay GilPatrick:

Kind Fools has been asked to facilitate a memorial sharing circle for mental health peer leader Jay GilPatrick. In coordination with Recovery Stories, we will create a sacred space of sharing for people’s stories and reflections on the impact both of Jay’s life and of Jay’s death on June 24, 2024.
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Where: Roswell Park’s Community Outreach & Engagement Center, 907 Michigan Ave.
​When: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Monday, July 15, 2024.
​Hosted by: Recovery Stories and Kind Fools

​Kind Conversations

We have rescheduled Kind Conversations for 6:00pm on Thursday August 8, 2024 at the centrally located Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo as an opportunity to learn skills and come together for healthy conversation on divisive issues, including the future of Humbolt Parkway/Kensington Expressway (the 33). In this workshop/training, we look forward to sharing skills we’ve learned from several Resetting the Table trainings over the past year. Please do sign-up ahead of time at https://kindfools.org​

Poster for Kind Conversations workshop/training at 6pm on August 8. 2024
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Upcoming Partner events

Community Canvases will proudly be tabling at 716 CommUNITY Day on
​7/16 at 3:00pm in MLK Park. Please join us there for some Kind Fools activities.

Every Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm, Elaine Grisanti and Community Canvases’ Community Swing dances at the Ukrainian American Civic Center at 205 Military Road. A $10 donation includes a lesson dance, and cash bar.

​Thank you for reading, writing and being part of change in our community.

​With gratitude,
Hy,  Director of Operations, Community Canvases
Founding Director, Kind Fools –
a program of Community Canvases​

Community Canvases – facilitating community