Contact Name: Chris Gyorgy, cgyorgy@denverlibrary.org
Type of Initiative: Inclusion/Tolerance  

Description:

Our House: The Empathy Project was designed for participants to better understand the journey of others in our community. Empathy is one of our most powerful tools for building stronger ties to each other and creating healthy, thriving communities. Through various experiential components, The Empathy Project encouraged guests to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. The day's events included:

- a group art project in which guests created a sign on recycled cardboard that recalled a time in their life in which they felt the odds were against them

- a Care Fair hosted by DPL social workers and highlighting agencies and organizations from all over metro Denver that offer resources for those experiencing homelessness and poverty and other life challenges

- a writing workshop guided by presenters from Lighthouse Writers that included a tour of the History Colorado Museum's exhibit on homelessness

- a game room for everyone that included playing Home Sweet Homelessness -- a board game that demonstrates how easily each of us can fall into poverty

- a family-style dinner that was attended by hundreds of hungry customers. The meal was created by David Bondarchuck, a local celebrity chef here in Denver who drew himself out of poverty by studying cooking and cookbooks from the shelves of Denver Public Library.