Promoting CommUNITY at the Eugene Family YMCA
Overview
This inspiring educational series invites us to explore ways to build awareness, compassion and kindness in our everyday lives. Each month centers around a new theme, offering opportunities to connect beyond our differences, foster meaningful relationships, and grow as better neighbors and community members. Hear from experts who bring fresh insights on each month's theme, helping us better understand and support one another. Together, let’s gain the skills to be active allies and create a stronger, more unified community. Join us and be part of something meaningful! You're invited to join just one session or multiple sessions throughout the year!
Y membership not required to attend. Please sign up for a FREE COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP, which grants you access to free programs like this, before your register for a session. If you have any questions, please reach out to the event coordinator, Cass Averill.
Drop-ins welcome! No prior attendance required—join us for any that interest you.
Know a teenager who might be interested in this offering? We are also hosting a parallel series for middle- and high-schoolers!
Upcoming Themes
| MONTH | DATE | TOPIC |
|---|---|---|
| September | Sept. 24 | The History and Experience of Refugees and Immigrants in America |
| October | Oct. 22 | LGBTQIA+ Inclusion |
| November | Nov. 18 | Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Inclusion |
Non-Y members are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions, but will need to sign up for a free Community Membership in order to register.
Next Meeting
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 24
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Topic: The History and Experience of Refugees and Immigrants
About: We invite you to a meaningful conversation about the history and lived experiences of refugees and immigrants in the United States, featuring our partners from the Refugee & Immigrant Services Program (RISP) at Catholic Community Services of Lane County. RISP is a vital resource in our community, offering a comphrensive range of social services, community connections, and immigration legal support to help refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants navigate life in a new country.
We're honored to have the RISP team share their insights and guide us through an exploration of both the historical context and current realities facing immigrant and refugee communities—right here in our region. This conversation will also include practical ways we can show support and solidarity at the local level.
Optional Reading: The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande
If you'd like to engage with this topic more deeply ahead of the event, we invite you to read The Distance Between Us, a powerful memoir by Reyna Grande that explores immigration, family separation and the search for belonging. Reyna shares her journey from a childhood in Mexico, marked by poverty and parental absence, to her reunion with her family in the U.S., where she grapples with identity, assimilation and resilience. Her story brings a deeply personal lens to the broader conversation around immigration.
September Speakers
Christine Zeller-Powell, RISP Director
Christine Zeller-Powell is the director of the Refugee and Immigrant Services Program at Catholic Community Services (CCS) of Lane County. As a volunteer, she led the Refugee Resettlement Coalition of Lane County from 2016 to 2018. She began working at CCS in 2018, and has led the growth of the refugee resettlement and immigration legal services programs at CCS. Raised in Eugene, Christine earned B.S. (2005), M.S and J.D. degrees (2011) from the University of Oregon.
Daria Curtis, RISP Program Manager
Daria Curtis is the Program Manager of the Refugee and Immigrant Services Program at Catholic Community Services (CCS) of Lane County. She started working at CCS in January 2024, and is leading the social wraparound services of the department. Daria was born in Ukraine, and earned her B.S. 2009 and M.S. degrees in Applied Linguistics in 2010 from the State Pedagogical University in Ukraine.
Zoë Livelybrooks, RISP Volunteer Coordinator
Zoë Livelybrooks is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Refugee and Immigrant Services Program, part of Catholic Community Services (CCS). She grew up in rural Oregon, where her family hosted over 20 high school exchange students from all over the world. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in English Literature in 2014.
Take our Survey!
Whether you’ve attended one of our Promoting CommUNITY events or just caught a glimpse of the series on our screens or website, we’d love to hear from you! Promoting CommUNITY is about coming together to build awareness, compassion and kindness—especially toward those whose experiences may be different from our own. Your voice matters in this work. We’re currently planning the next round of events, and your feedback will help us make them even more impactful, welcoming and accessible to all.
Take a moment to share your thoughts in our quick survey—it only takes a few minutes, and every response makes a difference and helps guide our next steps.
