Reflections on our first On the Ground Southeast event

On Thursday, Aug. 6., Input Fort Wayne's On the Ground Southeast program partnered with Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center to host a Story Slam in the Mount Vernon Park neighborhood.

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August 12, 2020
Britney Breidenstein, Input Fort Wayne's On the Ground Southeast Project Editor, emceed the event.
By Sierah Barnhart – Britney Breidenstein, Input Fort Wayne's On the Ground Southeast Project Editor, emceed the event.
Kara Hackett of Input Fort Wayne, left, and Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace, center, talk with guests.
By Sierah Barnhart – Kara Hackett of Input Fort Wayne, left, and Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace, center, talk with guests.
Attendees mingle before the Story Slam begins.
By Sierah Barnhart – Attendees mingle before the Story Slam begins.
Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace opened the evening with brief introduction.
By Sierah Barnhart – Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace opened the evening with brief introduction.
Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace opened the evening with brief introduction.
By Sierah Barnhart – Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace opened the evening with brief introduction.
Britney Breidenstein, Input Fort Wayne's On the Ground Southeast Project Editor, emceed the event.
By Sierah Barnhart – Britney Breidenstein, Input Fort Wayne's On the Ground Southeast Project Editor, emceed the event.
Attendees from Southeast and across the city came out to hear Southeast storytellers.
By Sierah Barnhart – Attendees from Southeast and across the city came out to hear Southeast storytellers.
Storytellers of all ages shared personal experiences and reflections on the theme "Revealed."
By Sierah Barnhart – Storytellers of all ages shared personal experiences and reflections on the theme "Revealed."
Xaviana shares a story at the first OTG Southeast event.
By Sierah Barnhart – Xaviana shares a story at the first OTG Southeast event.
County Council, at-large, hopeful Melissa Fisher shared a story at the first OTG Southeast event.
By Sierah Barnhart – County Council, at-large, hopeful Melissa Fisher shared a story at the first OTG Southeast event.
The winning storyteller was Tamara.
By Sierah Barnhart – The winning storyteller was Tamara.
The winning storyteller was Tamara.
By Sierah Barnhart – The winning storyteller was Tamara.
Attendees wore masks to socially distance at the first OTG Southeast event.
By Sierah Barnhart – Attendees wore masks to socially distance at the first OTG Southeast event.
Each speaker got a $25 gift card and the winner was awarded an additional $50.
By Sierah Barnhart – Each speaker got a $25 gift card and the winner was awarded an additional $50.
Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace opened the evening with brief introduction.
By Sierah Barnhart – Réna Bradley of Bridge of Grace opened the evening with brief introduction.
Attendees listen to Southeast storytellers.
By Sierah Barnhart – Attendees listen to Southeast storytellers.

On Thursday, Aug. 6., Input Fort Wayne’s On the Ground Southeast program partnered with Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center to host a Story Slam in the Mount Vernon Park neighborhood. The event took place in one of Bridge of Grace’s revitalized community parklets, complete with a stage, music, and socially distant snacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bridge of Grace’s Rena Bradley kicked off the evening with a brief introduction to her team’s asset-based, community-driven work in the Mount Vernon Park neighborhood. Then Input’s On the Ground Project Editor, Britney Breidenstein, took over and served as the emcee for the night. Three storytellers shared their reflections on the theme “Revealed,” telling neighbors what has been revealed to them during this time and what they would like to reveal to their community.

The evening culminated in a feedback session, which will shape Input Fort Wayne’s next community event in Southeast Fort Wayne on Thursday, Sept. 3. Stay tuned for details on Input’s website and Facebook page.

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Author
Kara Hackett

Kara Hackett is a Fort Wayne native fascinated by what's next for northeast Indiana how it relates to other up-and-coming places around the world.

After working briefly in New York City and Indianapolis, she moved back to her hometown where she has discovered interesting people, projects, and innovations shaping the future of this place—and has been writing about them ever since. Her work has appeared in The Journal Gazette, Living Fort Wayne, Glo Magazine, FoxNews.com, and The Huffington Post.

In January 2018, Kara helped launch Input Fort Wayne, in partnership with its parent company, Issue Media Group, based in Detroit, Mich., and a coalition of regional sponsors.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @karahackett.

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