We Launched a Movement…

About four years ago, the first group of Open Table members was given the choice to help an impoverished man named Ernie (Search “Ernie” for his full story). At the time, Ernie lived at Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) in central Phoenix. He was a single, senior who was highly motivated to get out of poverty but the odds were stacked against his exodus. He needed assistance with housing, employment, budgeting, transportation, vision and dental care, and legal but was too overwhelmed to know where to even start. Unfortunately, the fragmented social service sector fails to deliver resources to impoverished families in ways that empower transformation to create a pathway to fully exit poverty.

Open Table views families holistically, examining their challenges and opportunities. Twelve volunteers bring their life experiences and personal networks to form a “Table” to assist and encourage the impoverished family. Working together over the course of a year, a Lifeplan for their future is created and the resources required to implement the plan are assembled. Today, some four years later, Ernie remains economically self-sufficient and connected to his friends that helped him years ago.

Saying “Yes” to helping Ernie exit the homeless shelter was the beginning of what has now become the Open Table Movement. News of Ernie’s successful restoration spread to other faith communities and soon, those who originally served Ernie were documenting their process and teaching others how to operate a “Table” in their faith community. The 501c3 non-profit was established in March 2007, as the implementation of this innovative poverty transformation model continued to spread. Today, not only are there Tables in diverse faith communities, but corporations and universities are now hosting Tables as well. Government and other nonprofits have invested their resources to strengthen the Open Table collaboration. Open Table has evolved to include a Neighborhood Roots System (NRS) model which seeks to revitalize targeted neighborhoods by empowering local faith communities to write a business plan for their neighborhood while teaching the networking skills to access the resources needed to implement the business plan. The NRS model is currently in pilot in targeted South Phoenix neighborhoods, with expansion plans to bring the NRS model to other impoverished neighborhoods in Phoenix.

Open Table continues to innovate and expand its collaboration of partners. Recently, the Wildflower Bread Company joined the Open Table collaboration as our first “Business Sector Partner” to work with Table Occupation Chairs to showcase employment opportunities for their company. The City of Phoenix Human Services Department has been instrumental is helping Open Table develop Outcome Data Analysis Tools to effectively measure and report Table performance. The AZ Department of Economic Security has committed to provide DES Navigators statewide to connect Tables to the guidance and resources of this $4 billion state agency. And in July 2009, the AZ Republic ran a feature article about the Neighborhood Roots System pilot in South Phoenix. Most recently, the Tohono O’odham Nation began working to launch its first Table in 2010.

The Open Table movement is dynamic and committed to innovations that will shift resources for the status quo approach of poverty maintenance to one of real poverty transformation. Please contact Open Table to learn more about hosting a Table in your faith community or corporation and the other ways to become involved in the movement. If you know of others who may be interested in hearing about Open Table, please forward this link to them:

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