The Bite- News You Can Chew On from ARC Civic Dinners

“What did I enjoy most? The connectedness to others across cultures, regardless of skin color, religion, etc. Even if they have different ideas, the people who attend are people who care about the same issues.”
-Livability Dinner attendee

6 conversations, 6 active dinners, 97 past dinners, 687 total attendees

Welcome to summer. Welcome to new conversations.

The challenges facing our region are diverse and complex, and we’re rolling out three new conversations that dive deeply into those complexities. As with every conversation, your feedback from these dinners will make a difference to the future of our region. There are more to come too, so stay tuned.

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Most metro Atlanta neighborhoods are not affordable for families making less than $50,000 a year. Rising housing costs have become an issue across the country — including right here in the Atlanta region.

Come together to discuss this challenge—and make a difference. Feedback from this dinner will inform the work of ARC’s CATLYST team, a group of dedicated Atlanta leaders who have come together to find workable solutions to address affordable housing.

I was surprised to learn how housing affordability was an issue for almost everyone at the table. It seems to be impacting everyone in one way or another.

Host or attend an Affordable Housing conversation

Many of us have a negative association with aging, and we don’t want to think about it much. But more and more of us are living longer than ever — and doing so here in metro Atlanta.

But we can’t plan for a future we don’t want to talk about.

That’s why the ARC has created Reimagine Aging. In this short interview, ARC’s Katie Perumbeti responds to three questions about why this issue is urgent now, for all of us.

when we're biased against someone older than ourselves, we're really being biased against our future selves.

Host or attend a Reimagine Aging conversation

The Atlanta region is one of the fastest-growing job markets in the country. But still, a significant number of people are either unemployed or underemployed. Surprisingly, at the same time, employers struggle to fill job openings with qualified workers.

Come discuss how to get everyone in the Atlanta region on the road to the right job. Feedback from this dinner is timely, as ARC’s CATLYST program and the ARC WorkSource Solutions group work to match businesses with skilled workers, and workers with education and training.

Host or attend an Education and Work conversation

First Civic Dinner on a Rollercoaster!

Okay, so, maybe not exactly on a rollercoaster, but close enough to merit a mention. Because we asked you for unique dinner locations, and you delivered.

On June 19, the power of civic dinners to spark conversations that matter was highlighted yet again, as a diverse group of nearly 70 community leaders and young adults from Henry, Clayton, and Fayette Counties came together for a roomful of civic dinners at Fun Spot, an amusement center in Fayetteville.

ARC Board Citizen Member Charlton Bivins hosted the dinners, which sparked productive discussions about livability in south metro Atlanta.

Here, attendee Mayor Anthony Ford of Stockbridge, gives his take on the event. We don’t know if he rode the bumper boats before or after this video was taken—but he told us that the conversations started here will continue.