The Atlanta Volunteer Meetup Group

Our Food Pantry has truck deliveries every Thursday around Noon. After the shipment of food has been unloaded off of our truck we are needing volunteers to help us with the unboxing & unpacking of food as well as with the sorting and organizing.

We are asking volunteers to help from Noon - 4 p.m. A lot of times we do finish before 4 p.m. Please still come if you can only volunteer just for a few hours. We have lots of fun!!

We are looking for 5-6 volunteers to be regulars with us on Truck Thursdays. If you have a heart for volunteering and giving back to the community please send me a message. Thanks so much!!

Our Food Pantry is open Fridays from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. We are asking that volunteers arrive by 10:00 a.m. to assist with set-up. Volunteers will help distribute food/items at designated stations throughout our warehouse to deserving individuals and families in need.
In addition, our agency is looking for 5-6 volunteers to be regulars with us on Fridays. If you have a heart for community service and want consistency with volunteering please send me a message! Thanks so much!!

In-Person Documentary Night is held on every 2nd Friday of the month. This event was designed to give people the chance to discuss interesting ideas and topics explored in the documentaries that we have chosen as a group to watch. This month we have voted to watch the the documentary, The Joy of AI. Professor Jim Al-Khalili looks at how we have created machines that can simulate, augment, and even outperform the human mind - and why we shouldn't let this spook us. Here is a link to the film trailer. https://youtu.be/FROfrBz1aeU?si=8ZLj_3d1oZRZLZyj We will start the film PROMPTLY AT 7:10 PM.

For the event we will meet together in the sanctuary at Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation, where we will watch the film together. Then we will participate in multiple rounds of small group discussions with a different groups for each round. This gives you the opportunity to meet new people and hear a variety of perspectives throughout the night. We will end by deciding what to watch next month. This is a Voting Night where we brainstorm and decide as a group what we will watch the following month, so please come with a recommendation ready. Just a reminder that next month is Back To School Month.

Decaf and caffeinated tea will be provided. We will also be having potluck style snacks! So you are welcome to bring food to share with others, whether homemade or store-bought. Please bring foods that won't be distracting for others during the film or the discussion. Vegan, nut free snacks are preferred (not required), out of consideration for allergies and also sustainability. Please label your food with list of ingredients.

This event is posted in multiple meetup groups, on Eventbrite, as well as with members of the Community Documentary Night email list. Therefore, THIS RSVP LIST IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE ATTENDING THE EVENT. So even if you only see one person RSVPed in this meetup group, there will always be others in attendance from other groups.

Please be sure to read the norms and expectations below before attending.

Thank you and hope to see you there!

NORMS & EXPECTATIONS

We have generated a set of norms and expectations for our event. They were created to help us maintain a welcoming and civil environment for everyone in attendance. Please read through before attending. They will also be recited at the start of the event.

1. This event is open to all who are open to all. This is an inclusive event. So we are open to anyone including all gender expressions, racial identities, political affiliations, etc. as long as you are open to hearing the perspective of others.

2. Step Up and Step Back. Step up meaning we ask that you step up and share your perspective so that we can learn and grow from your knowledge and experience. Step back meaning we ask that you step back on occasion, allowing yourself the opportunity to hear and grow from the experience and perspectives of others in attendance.

3. Allow others to express their full thought. This is just a nice way of saying try not to interrupt.

4. Be mindful of others wanting to speak. Try to keep your thoughts concise, allowing time for others to respond.

5. If you don't agree, this is not a debate but a discussion. So instead of trying to sway the other person, try to understand where they are coming from. That can be done by asking "What makes you think that?" This requires coming from a place of curiosity rather than competition.

6. But even though it's not a debate, feel free to challenge what is said. Not in saying "You're wrong." But by sharing the idea that you have and asking how that fits with what they just shared. This allows for both ideas to be in the same space and gives the other person an opportunity to explain their thinking.

7. Assume good intentions. We are all here to learn and grow together. If something does not sound right, ask first for clarification before jumping to conclusions.

8. If there is an issue, speak up in the moment, if at all possible. Some may not realize that what they said had a negative impact on those in the room. Speaking up can give them the opportunity to correct what they said.

9. If it is not possible to resolve amongst yourselves, request that the host join your group. Once he enters your group you can explain the situation. If you would rather wait till after the event, feel free to email the host at CommunityDocumentaryNight@gmail.com, then we can figure out a way of resolving the issue for future events.

10. It's ok to eat! Tea will be provided. You are welcome to bring snacks to share. Please bring foods though that won't be distracting for other attendees.

You can sign up on the following link to volunteer: Lift Up Atlanta: Collecting & Organizing Toys (signupgenius.com)