About UsFounded by Mark Yaconelli on Valentine’s Day, 2010, The Hearth Community is a new model of community building based on personal storytelling, reflective listening, and community service. The Hearth Community develops community gatherings in which people explore, craft, and share stories from what they have lived. The Hearth Community also raises money for non-profits in Southern Oregon through community storytelling events. Once a quarter they gather a handful of local folks to tell a true story, first person, based on a theme. Past themes include: “Love Hurts,” “Tales from Childhood,” “Letting Go,” and “Wilderness Tales.” Each event includes live music (from bluegrass, to folk, to Celtic, to jazz). They charge $5 to get in the door and all proceeds go to charities based in Southern Oregon like the Ashland Emergency Foodbank, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Dunn House, Rogue Valley Farm to School, Ashland Hospital Hospice, and others.
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It is now five years later and The Hearth is getting cloned in other communities. The Ford Family Foundation is helping. A few months ago community members from Grants Pass, Scott's Valley, and Bend gathered in Ashland for a weekend of training.
It is now time for us to launch our own Hearth events. We have found a location for the event and are now seeking "tellers" and musicians. The first theme is "Treasured Objects." All stories must be told - not read. They are no more than 10 minutes in length. |
ThemesEach time we meet we will have a new theme. The first theme is "Treasured Objects." We encourage tellers to bring the object to show during the telling.
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TellersTellers are chosen from people who submit their stories or people whom we seek out. Tellers are not professional people - just neighbors and friends.
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MusiciansWe will try and incorporate as many eclectic musicians from the community as we can. We would like to have young people be part of this event as well.
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Non-ProfitsNon Profits will be chosen at random. Our first non profit will be the Josephine Community Libraries. If your non profit is interested, please contact us.
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