Advocacy

Main Library, Meeting Room 2B What does it mean to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? In this gathering, we'll continue our series on the Sermon on the Mount from a mystical perspective. Together we’ll explore Matthew 5:13–16, looking not only to the passage as moral instruction, but also to the deeper transformation of consciousness that Jesus invites. Together we'll reflect on how spiritual awakening changes the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. All backgrounds are welcome.

**✅ Bachata Mondays with Todd Smith!** **👉 Beginner Bachata Class** **$15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** 7:00 pm – 7:15 pm … Registration 7:15 pm – 8:15 pm … Beginner Class **👉 Intermediate Bachata Class** **= $15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** 8:15 pm – 8:30 pm Registration 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm Intermediate Class **👉 If You Take Both Bachata Classes** **= $25 In Advance / $35 At the Door** **👉 Buy Advance Tickets Now at:** https://columbussalsadancing.com/bachata-mondays-dance-class-tickets/

Pickleball \| Singles \| 20s\, 30s\, 40s \| Ditch the Apps\. Hit the Courts\. DateColumbus Pickleball League **8 Weeks of Singles Pickleball - you joining us?!** Summer is calling, and we've got better plans for you than swiping right. DateColumbus's Pickleball League is back — 8 weeks of casual open play, rotating partners, new connections, and honestly? A really good time. Whether you've never held a paddle in your life or you've been playing for years, this league was built for you to show up, get moving, and meet people IRL. **Never played before? You're in the right place.** For the first three weeks, we'll have on-site instructors ready to walk you through the basics in the first 30 minutes — no experience needed, no pressure, just good vibes and a little coaching. Our volunteers are also on-site every Monday to get you settled on the courts, introduce you around, and make sure you leave with at least a few new faces in your contacts. **How it works:** We run open play — meaning you'll rotate courts AND partners throughout the night. Winners stay for one round before rotating, so there's always someone new to meet, rally with, and maybe grab a drink with after. Maximum mingling. Maximum fun. **[Ticket & Registration is linked here!](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-pickleball-but-everyones-single-datecolumbus-tickets-1990356562056?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true)** **What's included:** * Paddles available every week (or bring your own!) * Locker room on-site * Full restaurant + bar at Paddle Taps * Every Monday, 6:00–8:00 PM for 8 weeks * Eat, drink, and mingle during and after play * **Ready to meet your pickleball partner (and maybe more)?** Grab your spot now — courts fill up fast and so do summer schedules, see you soon :)

**✅ Bachata Mondays with Todd Smith!** **👉 Beginner Bachata Class** **$15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** 7:00 pm – 7:15 pm … Registration 7:15 pm – 8:15 pm … Beginner Class **👉 Intermediate Bachata Class** **= $15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** 8:15 pm – 8:30 pm Registration 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm Intermediate Class **👉 If You Take Both Bachata Classes** **= $25 In Advance / $35 At the Door** **👉 Buy Advance Tickets Now at:** https://columbussalsadancing.com/bachata-mondays-dance-class-tickets/

Ciao a tutt\*! Let's meet Monday at 6.30pm at the Upper Arlington Library (Tremont Branch) in **Meeting Room A** to speak in Italian for 1 hour.

It’s time to take control of your mental health. How do you get rid of stress, anxiety and uncertainty? These emotions are buried deep in your reactive mind. Find out what the reactive mind is, and in the process find yourself. Have you ever suffered from a traumatic experience, a deep loss or been through a painful breakup? Has your ability to communicate suffered as a result? And after that, even though you "moved on" did you find that things were never quite the same? Have you ever looked at childhood photos, or reminisced your early life and wondered where that happiness and spark went? Are your emotions out of your own control? Have you ever felt, even if you aren’t aware of it, that possibly you are getting in your own way of your happiness and success? How does this affect your self-confidence? Find out what is at the root of all stress, anxiety, depression and self-doubt. Find out how and why you hold yourself back from achieving your goals and having the life you have dreamed of. As soon as you learn what is at the root of these unwanted conditions, you’ll see it is something you can DO something about. You will not be labeled or categorized at this MeetUp.

Join us Saturday June 20th after yoga for drinks and sweets at this delicious Vegan co-op bakery. Mingle with likeminded Columbus Vegans🤩 We will aim to sit outside after purchasing items and hopefully taking in lovely weather. Special note on parking: Please try to park along Acton, Richards and/or Chatham streets so as to free up the lot at the back of the building for pick-up orders. Thank you. 😊 Patty Cake offers everything from cupcakes, cookies, cakes, muffins, whoopie pies, as well as gluten free goodies. They also have coffee, oat milk and cold brew. You can view them on their website [here](https://www.pattycakebakery.com/goodies)

While some are still meeting online, this is an in person event. Please note that we have attendees of all levels of speaking, including some native speakers. All are welcome! Also, as we meet at the same time and place each week, many don’t RSVP on the app, so we will likely have more attendees than noted here. Note: if you are asked to pay and upgrade the Meetup app, this is not necessary. You can ignore this and still attend our meetings. Find us on our [Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EKw86WJCp/?mibextid=wwXIfr).

Over a billion documents processed. Millions of Veterans impacted. Hundreds of thousands of employee hours saved. Faster decisions. Greater accuracy. More benefits in the hands of our disabled Veterans. We created Smart Search, the world’s largest consumer of Amazon Textract, right when GenAI began reshaping what’s possible. Since then, we’ve built a suite of AI‑driven solutions that transform this data into real, measurable outcomes—accelerating benefits decisions for our Nation’s Veterans. Join us for a focused conversation on how an outcome‑driven approach to AI is helping us boost accuracy, streamline workflows, and deliver faster results for those who have served. This is a follow up to the AWS re:Invent 2023 "Intelligent Document Processing with Gen AI for Public Sector" presentation. About Speaker: Cameron Williams is a Senior Technical Project Manager and cross-functional technical leader at Booz Allen Hamilton with 15+ years of experience architecting and evolving scalable, cloud-native systems, from greenfield development to complex enterprise modernization. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronw711/ **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. **New to electronics or curious about tinkering?** You’re absolutely welcome. If you’re a beginner and want to experiment, I’ll have a couple of starter kits available so you can try things out—whether that’s blinking your first LED, putting something on a display, or experimenting with simple sensors. No pressure and no experience required—just an interest in learning and building. While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.

Join us for our Summer Session of Peer To Peer Class dates June 16 - Aug. 4, 2026 Register today at: https://namifranklincounty.org/peer-to-peer/

[https://www.originsgamefair.com/](https://www.originsgamefair.com/) [https://tabletop.events/conventions/origins-game-fair-2026](https://tabletop.events/conventions/origins-game-fair-2026) ### **Discover the Heart of Tabletop Gaming at Origins Game Fair** Celebrate over 50 years of gaming, community, and connection at Origins Game Fair 2026, June 17 to 21 in Columbus, Ohio! Since its inception in 1975, Origins has been the premier gathering for gamers, creators, and fans, offering something for everyone - from seasoned veterans to first-time attendees. Explore exciting events like board and card games, miniatures, roleplaying adventures, LARPs, collectible card games, cosplays, and more. Compete in game tournaments, test your skills in our puzzle competition, and immerse yourself in the Origins Film Festival. Plus, don't miss the massive exhibit hall, filled with the latest games, accessories, and collectibles from top publishers and indie creators alike. Whether you're here to play, learn, shop, or connect, Origins Game Fair offers a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all. Be a part of a community that has fostered friendships, sparked creativity, and built memories for five decades. Get your tickets today and experience the ultimate tabletop gaming event! ### **Important Dates** **Volunteer Applications Open:** November 28, 2025 - May 15, 2026 **Event Submission Open:** November 14th, 2025 - February 2, 2026 **Volunteer Shift Selection Opens:** February 3, 2025 **Late Event Submission Opens:** February 3, 2026 *There is no guarantee that any events submitted after February 2 will be reviewed or approved.* **Late Event Submission Closes:** April 5, 2026 **Perk Request Deadline:** April 10, 2026 **Layout Request Deadline:** April 15, 2026 **Event Registration Opens:** April 25, 2026 (1 PM EST) ### **Registration Hours:** **Self Serve - Scan and Go** Wednesday - 8am - Midnight Thursday - 7am - Midnight Friday - 7am - Midnight Saturday - 7am - Midnight Sunday - 7am - 2pm **Full Service / Materials Pickup** Wednesday - 8am - 9pm Thursday - 8am - 8pm Friday - 8am - 8pm Saturday - 8am - 6pm Sunday - 8am - 4pm **In 2026 you can go to Scan and Go for tickets purchased after you already have your badge just by scanning the barcode on your badge! Less waiting in line!** ### **Exhibit Hall Hours:** Wednesday - Closed Thursday - 9am - 10am - Premier Badge Holders Thursday - 10am - 6pm - All Attendees Friday - 10am - 6pm - All Attendees Saturday - 10am - 6pm - All Attendees Sunday - 10am - 4pm - All Attendees ### **Gaming Hall:** Wednesday - Noon - 1am Thursday - 8am - 1am Friday - 8am - 1am Saturday - 8am - 1am Sunday - 8am - 4pm ### **Important Information:** **Refunds:** There will be a 10% service fee for ALL Refunds; Badges and Tickets. **Badge Refund Deadline:**. April 15, 2026 No refunds on badges will be processed after this date. **Event Tickets:** \- will be refunded up to 24 hours before the event starts\. All event ticket refunds will have a 10% service fee\.

Join us Saturday, June 20th at 10am for a gentle beginner-friendly yoga flow at the Columbus Park of Roses with Victoria, one of our very own vegan community members and certified yoga teacher! Whether you’re brand new to yoga or a long time practitioner, this class is designed to help you slow down, stretch, breathe, and reconnect with yourself. Expect a relaxed, accessible flow focused on easing tension, moving mindfully, and leaving you feeling a little more grounded. All levels welcome! Bring water and a yoga mat (or towel if you don’t have a mat). A suggested donation of $10 is appreciated, but payment is absolutely not required to attend and enjoy class. A Venmo QR code will be available on-site for anyone who would like to contribute. The class duration will be one hour from 10-11am. After class, we’ll head to Pattycake Bakery for anyone who wants to keep the good vibes going over delicious sweets and conversation 🌱

**💕 Online Speed Dating – Real Port St. Lucie Locals, Live on Zoom** A straightforward, fun way to meet local singles without stepping out. Join from home, get paired with Port St. Lucie singles your age, and have real conversations on Zoom. A host manages everything so you can just relax and enjoy. **✅ RSVP below — the host messages everyone personally.** After RSVP, look out for a message with the personality quiz and event link. Capacity is limited. --- 🎯 **Perfect for:** - First-timers new to speed dating - Busy professionals who don't want to waste evenings - Port St. Lucie locals after personality-matched dates **Event Details** - **Format:** Virtual on Zoom – hosted and well-structured - **Location:** Online from home – no need to go anywhere - **Host:** Live host handling rounds and introductions - **Vibe:** Great energy, real people, authentic conversation - **Duration:** Roughly 90 minutes - **Privacy:** Contact info only shared when both match **How It Works** 1. **RSVP below** – Click RSVP to reserve your place. 2. **Watch for a host message** – The host will send you a short personality quiz after your RSVP. 3. **Complete the quiz** – A quick personality quiz so we can find your best matches. 4. **Hop on Zoom** – You'll receive the Zoom link before the event. The host handles the rest. 5. **Speed date** – One-on-one rounds with personality-matched Port St. Lucie locals. Matches shared afterwards. 💡 **Tip:** Just be yourself. That's always the best approach. --- ✨ RSVP and the host will be in touch. Easy as that. 💝 ✨

**🫶 Speed Dating on Zoom – Personality Matched for St. Petersburg Locals** Meet St. Petersburg singles from home. We sort the matching, you just turn up. We match you with compatible St. Petersburg locals using a quick personality quiz. You'll chat one-on-one on Zoom in short timed rounds while a host guides the session. **✅ Just RSVP and the host will message you.** Once you've RSVPed, you'll receive a short personality quiz from the host so we can match you well. Limited places. --- 🎯 **Perfect for:** - People fed up with swiping who want actual conversation - Anyone curious about speed dating in a relaxed setting - First-timers new to speed dating - Busy professionals who don't want to waste evenings **Event Details** - **Format:** Live on Zoom – guided rounds from your home - **Location:** From home – all you need is Wi-Fi and a webcam - **Host:** Live host handling rounds and introductions - **Vibe:** Great energy, real people, authentic conversation - **Matches:** Mutual matches sent out after the event - **Rounds:** Multiple short one-on-one rounds - **Matching:** Driven by personality quiz results **How It Works** 1. **RSVP here** – Secure your spot on Meetup. 2. **The host will contact you** – After RSVP, you'll get a message with the personality quiz so we can pair you well. 3. **Fill in the quiz** – Short and easy — it helps us pair you with the right people. 4. **Join on Zoom** – The host shares the link ahead of the event. Jump on and enjoy. 5. **Chat & match** – Quick timed rounds with St. Petersburg singles, then mutual matches sent out after. 💡 **Tip:** Check your Zoom setup and pick a quiet, well-lit spot ahead of time. --- ✨ Just RSVP — we'll handle everything from there. See you on Zoom. ❤️‍🔥 ✨

While some are still meeting online, this is an in person event. Please note that we have attendees of all levels of speaking, including some native speakers. All are welcome! Also, as we meet at the same time and place each week, many don’t RSVP on the app, so we will likely have more attendees than noted here. Note: if you are asked to pay and upgrade the Meetup app, this is not necessary. You can ignore this and still attend our meetings. Find us on our [Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EKw86WJCp/?mibextid=wwXIfr).

We will be marching again this summer at Pride. Come ready to show your Pride and stand-up for every human's right to love, respect, and family! * **Step-off:** 10:30AM * **Route:** High Street from the Capital to Goodale Park Update: We are meeting at Bob Leonhard's house. You can park your car there and we will carpool to the parade. This will eliminate you finding parking in the city and excessive walking. You SHOULD BE AT BOB'S HOUSE BY 8:45 a.m.! We will leave for the parade at 9:15 am sharp! Bob's address: 2858 Thorndale Avenue, Columbus, OH 43207 If you have questions, his number is 614-301-7436

The restaurant’s website doesn’t have the dinner menu listed. I took a picture of the dinner menu.

We're going to GameArena! We'll be in-person at the GameArena Gateway for our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event. Come to play and showcase your games! We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required). [www.game-arena.co](http://www.game-arena.co/) **Attendees:** Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games is all the better! **Developers:** Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available. Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. For this event, light snacks from the bar and water will be provided! Though you can purchase you own if you like at the bar: [https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu) Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out. 75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9) If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)