Woven Together: Building Community Through Reciprocity
(Edited with assistance from ChatGPT)
One of my 15-year-old daughter’s favorite hobbies is crocheting—she can literally knock out a pair of mittens in between volleyball games. A few months ago, she asked if I knew of any local nonprofits that might be interested in receiving hats and mittens she and her school’s crochet club had made. They were eager to donate their creations to people who could use them.
I immediately thought of my colleague and friend, Tracy Fauver, the executive director of Davis Community Meals and Housing. I originally met Tracy through Resilient Yolo—a county-wide collaborative in Yolo County, California, focused on spreading trauma-informed practices. Over the years, Tracy and I have worked together on a number of projects, and we’ve also become good friends.
Every month or two, we meet informally at Dunloe Taproom in Davis for a hoppy lemonade. We usually spend two-thirds of the time catching up on life, and the rest talking shop—sharing ideas and exploring ways to collaborate.
When I told Tracy about the hats, she was thrilled. She said they could absolutely use them for residents at Paul’s Place, where Davis Community Meals and Housing operates a resource center, along with transitional and permanent supportive housing. “We love being able to share handmade gifts to help keep folks warm during the cold months,” she said. “The knitted hats are a favorite among our clients — they’re not just warm, but also comforting and connecting!”
A few weeks later, my daughter and I dropped off a bundle of hats at Paul’s Place. The woman who answered the door turned out to be the Resource Center and Volunteer Coordinator—someone I knew from years ago when she served as the Child & Volunteer Protection Advocate (CVPA) for our local soccer league, where I volunteered as a coach.
As we handed her the hats, I couldn’t help but laugh and mention I’d seen her out line dancing the night before at a local venue. The exchange was light, familiar, and deeply human—rooted in community.
Later, when I shared this whole story with Tracy at our next Dunloe meeting, she smiled and said,
“That’s exactly what we’re trying to do here. We’re creating a space where people can seek support and where people can offer support. We’re creating a space for community-building.”
In that moment, her words crystallized something I had felt but hadn’t quite articulated. It’s exactly why I love our meetups at Dunloe. Every time I’m there, I see someone I know from the community. One of my favorite moments is when Shelley Dunning, the owner of Mabel’s Market around the corner brings in leftover bread from the day, baked in the local bakery. I don’t even eat gluten—but I’m still excited when that bread shows up. “It always starts great conversations–it connects people”“The best part of my day is giving away the bread,” she says. “It always sparks great conversations—it brings people together.”
Tracy’s words also echoed a core tenet of our Resilience Learning Community:
We are building a space where people can receive training and support, and also a space where people can offer training and support.
And crucially—we are co-creating this space together, through reciprocity.
It’s not just about the trainings and events hosted by Origins. It’s about what our partners bring. It’s about community members showing up, connecting, and discovering their own role—whether it’s learning, teaching, or both.
That’s why our motto is:
Learn. Teach. Connect.
Join us for an upcoming Community Check-in and explore who you might connect with to make an impact in the world.