Community invited to panel discussion focused on Honesty and Transparency

Carly Lillard | Thursday, August 24, 2023

The Breaking Bread Village is inviting the community to a panel discussion next Tuesday, August 29. “This work is so important to me. The need for transparency and honesty within our communities is imperative to our growth as a collective and as individuals,” says The Breaking Bread Village founder and event host, Erin Patrice. “I’m thankful for the way the community has shown up and supported the includingYOU series. It’s been amazing and my heart is full.”

In partnership with The Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition of Midland County, The Breaking Bread Village will host its fourth show of the includingYOU series at 7:00pm on August 29 at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library auditorium at 1710 W St Andrews Road. in Midland. Pre-show starts at 6:30pm. This event is free and open to all. You can register for the Live show here.

Breaking Bread Village, August 29, 2023 event
The event, which will discuss honesty and transparency, has an anticipated attendance of 100 community members. “The work of The Breaking Bread Village is meant to be the first steps or the first tier to opening the lines of communication. Some people have come to a live show event expecting ‘closure’ or everyone agreeing at the end and that’s not the mission. If it happens, awesome, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to bring the community together to talk, share, listen, and connect. And I’m thankful we’re accomplishing that goal,” Patrice continues.

Breaking Bread Village audience at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library auditorium“Initially, we wanted to deepen our communities’ awareness, understanding, and appreciation of intellectual humility, guided by new evidence-based research, and allow our local guests to leave expressing and challenging their beliefs with each other and within themselves. Doing this would have the potential to enable them to move forward in their thinking. We saw the growing divide and combative nature associated with expressing one’s beliefs and how they differ from others across the globe. We understand that our community stretches across such vastly different spectrums that we decided to create these opportunities for dialogue with our neighbors, enabling us to connect diversely and more broadly.”

For more information on this event and on The Breaking Bread Village, visit their website.

Read more articles by Carly Lillard.

Carly Lillard moved to the Great Lakes Bay Region in 2007 from Traverse City. Since that time, she’s graduated from Northwood University and held positions at Dow, Northwood University, Midland Area Community Foundation, Shelterhouse and Youth For Understanding. Currently, Carly is working as the Director of Philanthropy and Strategic Relationships at Holy Cross Services while completing her Master’s Degree from Michigan State University in Strategic Communication. When she’s not writing, you will find her spending time with her husband, Jesse, and two children, Maycie and Elias. Carly can be reached at carlylillard@gmail.com.