The ECS “Gift Circle” is a joyful exploration of collaborative community building by sharing needs, offering gifts and expressing gratitude.
In a time when most everything is monetized, the purpose of the gifting circle is to reclaim human relationships from commodification and return them to interdependent, collaborative interactions. Gift Circles also help the planet by promoting thoughtful use of resources. When gifting groups meet repeatedly over time, a community of mutual reliance develops. People experience abundance – both the joy of giving, and the experience of sharing their needs and having them met.
What to expect: 10 or 15 people sit in an actual circle. Participants take turns naming something they would like to give (anyone in the circle can then say, “I would like to receive that,” or “I know someone who needs that,” etc.) On the second round, each person names something he or she would like to receive. In this way, the gifts and needs of everyone in the group become known, people get used to giving and receiving from each other. After the Circle there will be 20-30 min for givers and receivers to connect with one another directly and coordinate a time to meet up later to give or receive whatever it was.
The ECS Gift Circle meets quarterly at the Ethical Culture Society Meeting House located at 687 Larch Ave., Teaneck NJ 07666.
Light Refreshments are offered. Pay it forward donations to support this event and the work of the Society gratefully accepted.
For more information and RSVP to Eric Sandhusen ([email protected]) or Lisa Sandhusen ([email protected]) or Call the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County at 201-836-5189. Please include ECS Gift Circle in the subject line.
**Lisa and Eric Sandhusen are facilitating the ECS Gift Circle and have enjoyed participating in Gift Circle Communities, as founded by Alpha Lo and spread by Charles Eisenstein.**
Alpha Lo’s and Alden Bevington’s book Open Collaborations, available at: https://www.createspace.com/3359137
Charles Eisenstein, http://charleseisenstein.net