Progressive Democrats

Feeling down? Sometimes depressed? Can't focus? Negativity & stress? Recent losses? Creativity in career and personal life hindered by mental blocks? Sometimes we never fully recover from traumatic experiences. Whether it was yesterday, last week or a year ago, traumatic experiences - a loss of a loved one, losing a job, a breakup - can leave you scarred. You talk about it and feel a little better, but it never goes away. After you hang up the phone, it's still there; the sadness, the cloud, the over-thinking, the worry, the guilt. You try to focus, but you're blocked. You try to look forward into new experiences, new relationships but a cloud is hanging over you, casting a shadow on what you once considered a bright, cheerful future. What happened to your courage? Your strength of character? You're 'why not' attitude? Whoever said 'time heals' must have had a special time machine, because after weeks, months, years, you're wondering - when exactly does that kick in? Sometimes it seems like drinking or drugs are the way to go. But they wear off, and now the problem is still there with added side effects from the drugs. At this free local Meetup event we will talk about: * What causes grief, anxiety and depression to become chronic. * Is it possible to regain your joy and happiness even after traumatic experiences? * How to break away from negativity and focus on the future * What are the steps to take to get control of your mind and your emotions? Learn about a safe, gentle, do-it-yourself counseling that can be done in the comfort of your own home. Let's explore safe, effective solutions for healing from traumatic experiences. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center.

This is an in-person meeting. At this meeting you will get answers to depression and anxiety. Find out the source of them and how to get rid of them. Did you know that unwanted emotions like anxiety, depression, unhappiness, loneliness, hopelessness, anger, fear, or feelings of irritation don’t just fall on you for no reason. They are not random occurrences that simply happen to people's minds. They are definitely not due to a chemical imbalance in your brain from some nebulous chemical reaction "by chance". Your negative emotions are the symptoms of the painful experiences that you have which are not healed, and which are still affecting you. The effects of these painful experiences are exacerbated by the pressures or difficulties of the other problems in your life. Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Central Ohio and Church of Scientology of Central Ohio.

Join us for a night of board gaming with FANG (Fem All Night Gaming). **We are an all fem board game group** in Columbus, Ohio. No cis-men, please! We play modern hobby board games! If you're unsure what that is, we can teach you! We'll be meeting on the second floor of Giant Eagle in their cafe area. Giant Eagle has a lot of food and beverage options including their hot foods bars. You are also welcome to bring in any outside food.

Columbus Code & Coffee is excited to partner with GiveBackHack to put on the Healthtech Impact Sprint from 3/28-3/29 at Rev1 at The Peninsula! RSVP here using promo code CODEANDCOFFEE: https://luma.com/tk2jdrxk This is a health-specific version of GBH’s traditional weekend event. Participants pitch, research, and prototype health-focused projects for a chance to earn to $5K in funding from The Columbus Foundation and IGS Energy. On Saturday, folks will pitch their idea, form teams, and build. On Sunday, they’ll finalize their pitches before showcasing their work to the community and judges. # ​Schedule ​**Sat, Mar 28** * ​​9a: Doors open & breakfast * ​9:30a: Kickoff and intros * ​​10a: Ideation session * ​​11a: Pitches & team formation * ​​12p: Working lunch * ​​2p: Mentor visits * ​​5p: Free work (optional) * ​​9p: Doors close ​​**Sun, Mar 29** * ​9a: Doors open * ​10a: Mentor visits * ​​12p: Showcase * ​​1p: Final pitches & awards * ​​2p: Wrap *** # ​ FAQs ​**Do all ideas have a chance at getting funded?** ​​Not all ideas will move forward after initial pitches on Saturday. Once pitches are complete, we’ll vote for top ideas and form teams around the 4 – 7 ideas with the most votes. You must recruit **at least four total team members** (including the founder) to move forward and have a chance at getting funded on Sunday. If your idea doesn’t move forward, you can join another team! ​​**Do I have to submit my idea online prior to the event?** ​​Unlike previous years, we don’t have the option to submit your idea online prior to the event. Instead, everyone will be going through a brainstorming exercise on Saturday that’ll help you prepare for your initial pitch. ​​**Will we be working for 24 hours straight?** ​​Nope. The event is split over two days. You’ll be building on Saturday and pitching on Sunday. ​​**Do I have to pitch an idea?** ​​Nope. You can also simply join a team. ​​**What types of entrepreneurs does GBH support?** ​​While GBH most often works with technology startups, we support *any* organization (for- or non-profit) that makes an impact on health in the US or across the world.

Why are we unhappy? Where does emotional pain come from? Studies show that people who suffer from long-term emotional pain have painful experiences in their lives that were never fully resolved in their mind. In other words, there were issues in the past that were not completely dealt with. This can include abuse in childhood, breakups, divorce, death of a loved one, to name a few. How do you know whether you have gotten over something painful? Here is an easy test: Do you still have attention on what had happened to you? For instance, do you still find yourself thinking about something painful that you went through? If you are, then you are not over it. In fact, in severe cases, people find themselves playing a "tape" in their mind over and over again. So how do you heal from your past? How do you stop the "tape" playing in your mind? In this meeting, you will learn a technique to help you with that. Come join us! Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics and Scientology life improvement center.

Join us for the Spring edition of [Nature Loving Fest](https://www.facebook.com/events/895148649812928), a small, thoughtfully curated outdoor gathering celebrating vegan eats, handmade goods, and the beauty of the season. Formerly known as our Vegan Pop-Up, this new chapter reflects what the event has always been — a space rooted in nature, community, and intentional living. Expect around 20 local vendors offering seasonal vegan eats, small-batch bakes, handcrafted goods, and earth-conscious products. Come support local makers, share good food, and celebrate the beginning of a new season with us. Admission is Free.

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! Tonight's a special one; this is "Long form" night! Most nights here at Improv Meetup, we play "short form" games, where the host has established rules that the players must adhere to. These scenes frequently do not tell a connected story and are focused on following those rules; games such as "Alphabet Game" where every next sentence needs to start with the next letter of the alphabet, or "Interrogation" where it's a guessing game. Tonight is focused on "long form", where we will see groups of people come up and do a sort of improvised play. There may be rules to the structure itself to adhere to, or it may be more free form, but doing this allows players to establish a shared world, and to establish characters and callbacks. While your average game may last 2-3 minutes, a long form set will last much longer, and have 4+ people involved. This may be a more complicated night, but we will make sure you feel supported to try this out. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

Come join us for dinner with good company on Saturday, March 28th from 6-8pm at the wonderful **Loving Hut** in Reynoldsburg. The food *always* slaps 😋 Check out the Loving Hut's delicious menu[ HERE](https://lovinghut.us/reynoldsburg/)! There is limited seating so please change your RSVP if you can no longer make it. Thank you! Lastly, we may decide to do something after dinner, but that is undecided as of now 😌

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [Crimson Cup Coffee Shop - Clintonville](https://www.crimsoncup.com/about/location/clintonville)!

**Join us for a vegan morning at downtown Columbus's premier vegan diner!** * **Date:** Saturday, April 4th * **Time:** 11:00 AM * **Location:** [4th & State](https://www.4thandstate.com/) (152 E State St, Columbus, OH 43215) * **Type:** Community Dining / Brunch * **Cost:** Pay-as-you-go (Entrees typically range from $10–$20) *** **About the Event** Come catch up with fellow vegans and vegan-curious friends in the heart of downtown. 4th & State is a family-owned, "mod diner" known for its laid-back atmosphere and incredibly indulgent vegan comfort food. Whether you’re looking to discuss animal rights activism or just want to enjoy a milkshake with like-minded people, all are welcome! **The Food** This spot is **100% vegan** and offers a massive menu of diner classics. Highlights include: * **Signature Brunch:** The **Vrunchwrap**, pancakes, and French toast sticks. * **Comfort Classics:** Loaded fries, burgers, and their "hand-breaded tempeh chicky." * **Allergen Friendly:** They offer a dedicated **gluten-free** menu and are a **tree-nut-free** kitchen (with the exception of coconut oil). **Important Details** * **Seating & Reservations:** 4th & State typically does **not take reservations**, so please RSVP early so we can try to coordinate seating together. * **Parking:** There is free and paid street parking nearby, as well as several paid parking lots in the downtown area. * **Accessibility:** The restaurant features a wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating.

Join us again this Saturday 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 cooperative 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

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. We will be hearing from Becca Powell, Director of Advocacy and Outreach at Unchained At Last, an organization whose mission is dedication to ending forced and child marriage in the United States through direct services and systems change. Unchained At Last's mission clearly meshes and addresses several of our Humanist Ten Commitments. Becca will educate us about an issue many of us may not be familiar with--but should be. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Join us as we get together for a Discount Tuesday / Choose Your Movie event to see your choice of two great films! Option 1 is the dark comedy/drama based on a true story TOW! The film stars Rose Byrne as a homeless Seattle woman how battles a towing company. Option 2 is the off-the-rails, over-the-top, action-comedy-horror THEY WILL KILL YOU! The film stars Zazie Beetz as a woman who answers a help wanted ad to be a housekeeper in a mysterious New York City high-rise not knowing its mysterious past! Here are details, trailers and our plan for this event: TOW: This dark comedy/drama is based on a true story and follows a homeless Seattle woman who fights her way out of "tow-company hell" to reclaim the car that had held her life together after receiving a tow bill for $21,634. The film stars Rose Byrne, Ariana DeBose, Demi Lovato, Octavia Spencer, Dominic Sessa, Elsie Fisher and Simon Rex! The film premiered to solid reviews at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival where critics declared, “TOW is a winner!” It’s “a story of perseverance, heart, and real fight, the kind of small human story we see less frequently these days, but need now more than ever.” TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdkpcsuPAhA THEY WILL KILL YOU: A woman takes a job as a housekeeper in a NYC high-rise, unaware of the building's history of disappearances. She soon realizes the community is shrouded in mystery. The film is directed by Kirill Sokolov and Zadie Beetz, Myha'la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette. The film is being released immediately following its premiere at this year’s SXSW Festival earlier this month. Early reviews say it’s “an adrenaline rush of action-packed fights, tons of blood and gore and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments” and a movie that’s “unafraid to march to its own campy, violent, and clever little drummer!” TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYqQPiXpi4w PLAN: Not exactly a “Choose Your Movie” event, more like an early show and a late one (or both if you’re feeling sparky)! \* If you’d like to see TOW, please purchase your ticket for the 5:00pm showing and meet in the upstairs lobby between 4:40 and 4:50pm! \* If you plan to see THEY WILL KILL YOU, please purchase your ticket for the 7:45pm showing and meet in the upstairs lobby between 7:25 and 7:35pm! \* Tickets for both films on sale now and advance purchase is advised! Tickets just $5.00 ($6.50 after online fees when purchased via the GFC website). Once you have yours, please list your movie of choice and seat number in the Comments section of this event. \* Also, as a reminder, close, convenient parking available in the nearby garage (Between 9th and 11th, just off High) and just $2 when you have your ticket validated at the theater! Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

The Unity of Columbus Resource Group for the Homeless is seeking compassionate volunteers who would like to help serve and uplift members of our homeless community. This group is dedicated to sharing kindness, resources, and support with individuals who may be experiencing difficult circumstances. Anyone with a heart for service is welcome to join us as we work together to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Community members are also invited to contribute by bringing helpful items for those in need. Donations of items can be contributed at the meeting and will be distributed to assist members of the homeless community. Please consider joining us and sharing this opportunity with friends, family, or associates who may also wish to help. Learn more about Unity of Columbus at www.unityofcolumbus.org or call (614) 267-4959. Together we can extend compassion, dignity, and support to our community. 💛

TBA- We will do lunch before the play too! Tickets are on sale now only $20.