Sympara

Repurposing empty church classrooms for the life of the community. A Parish Collective story.

Sacred/civic placemaking is a cogenerational endeavor. Our cofounder Daniel Pryfogle explains in this webinar how youngers and olders find shared purpose in reimagining religious assets for the common good.

Campbell University's rural neighbors possess assets to solve problems like food insecurity and lack of a social safety net. Over the past four years, Sympara has engaged more than a hundred students and stakeholders in making visible the community's resources, using our digital asset-mapping tool, www.sympara.app. Religious assets and other resources are identified and connected in this work of sacred/civic placemaking. Read about the latest effort here.

How might on-the-ground work shared by younger and older people — like sacred/civic placemaking — bridge divides and create healthier communities? Sympara cofounder Daniel Pryfogle will join Eunice Lin Nichols, co-CEO of CoGenerate, in conversation with Healthy Places by Design on Nov. 13. The webinar starts at 3 p.m. ET, and a post-webinar discussion group follows at 4 p.m. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gVcgpdXm

“This movement of churches developing their land is like a no-brainer. They support the mission of the church and serve ‘the least of us,’ says Yolanda Winstead, CEO of DHIC, Raleigh’s largest nonprofit housing developer. But the concept’s novelty and congregations’ inexperience mean “we are building the plane while we are flying it,” she adds. #sacred #civic #discernment Mark W. Boyce True Homes Fred Dodson DreamKey Partners Laurel Street Residential https://lnkd.in/gc5r_S7M

Aging for the common good? Yes, we're digging into that provocative proposition again through another Sympara writing group. Eight of us are on a six-week journey with the question "Identities in Place?" We are exploring the dynamism of our aging spirits and the evolution of our self-understanding amid changing circumstances and shifting environments. Want to join us on the next journey in January? Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ehuzbeX. Sympara will also convene a group at your faith community or #seniorliving community.  

There's interest in building housing on faith properties in Virginia Beach, VA! More than 60 people came out for Congregations & Affordable Housing, an Oct. 15 event sponsored jointly by Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) and Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners (VEREP). Sympara cofounder Daniel Pryfogle (left) participated in a panel on discernment with Cindy Barnes, VEREP consultant, and Jay Grant, executive director of LISC Hampton Roads. (Photo by Hamna Saleem/VICPP)

Join Sympara cofounder Daniel Pryfogle Oct. 22 to explore the reuse of faith property for social impact. https://lnkd.in/gqbTkVhU

There are four institutions in this neighborhood. They are separate entities, silos. It is a place of disconnection yet also potential. You might even imagine a new way of being here.