Hi. I’m Bob, and I’m new to this group. I feel like I’ve been drawn to the processes of community-building for the past several decades, as a soccer coach, a public high school teacher, and a member of the Baha’i community. Baha’is throughout the world, millions, dedicate themselves to the building of communities based upon the spiritual principle of the “Oneness of Humanity,” the reality that all of us, in reality, are members of one human race, a single people, belong to one extended human family. I now live in Westchester, and my efforts to build community are centered in Chicago’s western suburbs.
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Welcome, Bob. Great to have you in the community. Weave and the Aspen Institute have partnered with the Baha'i office in DC and I am deeply impressed with the commitment of all Baha'is to build strong communities where all feel welcomed and valued. Would love to hear more about what you are working in Chicago's western suburbs.
It's great to hear from you, Michael. A lot of community-building work is going on in the western suburbs of Chicago. Since the end of all the Covid lockdowns, a few years?!?, the amount of activity in our local community has increased by almost 900%... and this activity continues to grow. Most of this growth is decentralized, happening within families, in homes, and neighborhoods where, increasingly, Baha'is and our friends seek to make the spiritual principle of "Oneness" enshrined at the center of the Faith the spiritual center of everything in their lives. This spiritual foundation is, according to my understanding of Baha'i Writings, the cornerstone of progress in our own lives and the life of the whole of society. I learned about Weave from Kate Towles, and I am very excited about how our local Baha'i community might partner with Weave in the greater Chicago metropolitan area.
Hello Bob welcome to Chicago Weave. Looking forward to connecting with you in the near future. I am a football coach and we took an ol’ fashion lick in this pass Friday in our opening game of the season, so there was no celebrating Labor Day we were Laboring 😃. I’m an assistant coach and Chicago Hope Academy a small Christian school on the Westside of Chicago. Looking forward to speaking with you soon.
Hi Bob, welcome! My name is Kirk Fleming. I share a passion for community-building, particularly through outreach and mentoring. I’ve been involved in organizing events that focus on supporting families and fostering growth, especially in underserved areas.
Your dedication to the "Oneness of Humanity" is truly inspiring, and it aligns beautifully with efforts to uplift communities. I currently focus on projects in Chicago as well and would love to hear more about your work in the western suburbs. It’s great to have you here!
Hi Kirk,
Thanks for your message. Yes, I'd love to connect... Just let me know what works for you, and I'm sure we can work out something. It would be great to share!
Yours, Bob
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your response! I’d love to connect as well. Let me know your availability, and we can set up a time that works for both of us. It would be wonderful to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences.
Looking forward to it!
Warm regards,
Kirk
