Resilience Cafe: Empowering and Building Our Community

By Lauren Rodgers ‘27

Students and community organizers gathered last Saturday for an afternoon of crisis response education, networking, and crafting at the Resilience Cafe. The community-oriented event sought to empower participants and strengthen their connections with the broader community. 

The energy in the Multipurpose Room of the Campus Center was buzzing during this event hosted by the CCE and Thrift2Fight in an effort to empower the local community through emergency preparedness. An array of local organizations were represented throughout the room, hosting workshops that ranged from zine-making and fabric mending to tabling by the Red Cross and BardEMS.

“There are so many scenarios in which we can be better prepared. And that doesn't have to be an isolating experience of individual responsibility; there's so much joy to be had in learning all of these practical skills together,” said Jillian Reed ‘21, cofounder of Thrift2Fight and a Bard alumna.

Her business partner, Masha Zabara ‘21, added, “We decided to partner up with the CCE to make something that's very, very hands-on; something way less theoretical and way more tangible to make people feel stronger and safer in ways that are attainable.” The Resilience Cafe accomplished this goal of community bonding and empowerment by creating a comfortable environment for attendees to learn these skills together.

The concept for the Resilience Cafe emerged after an armed person entered the Thrift2Fight store in Tivoli last year and threatened an employee, who used their de-escalation skills to diffuse the situation and get help. This politically charged display of violence was a wake-up call not only for Reed and Zabara but for the wider community as well. 

“Our minds were shaped by that experience enough to see all of the gaps in our knowledge–both in what we knew and what the people around us knew,” said Reed. “The more people who know CPR, the better, and the more people who can communicate to de-escalate crises, the better. We wanted to empower people with these skills,” she said.

Response trainings such as CPR, self-defense, and conflict mediation attracted a good amount of participants throughout the day, as did cyber security and bag-making workshops. Not only was the Resilience Cafe the perfect opportunity to provide people with practical crisis response tools but it also created a space where people could network with community partners.

The Civic Ambassadors Program, which seeks to help Bard students, faculty, and staff better understand and connect with their communities, was also represented. Workshop leader and CCE Civic Ambassador Nadia Trinidad ‘28 said, “The Civic Ambassadors program wants to connect with local organizations and give students opportunities to connect with outside organizations. Events like these that are happening on the Bard College campus are a way for that connection to happen really directly.” This opportunity for connection between students and local organizations was a hallmark of the event; volunteers were recruited, emails were shared, and flyers were handed out as attendees moved throughout the room, mingling over donuts, coffee, and music.

If you missed the most recent Resilience Cafe, keep your eyes peeled for the next opportunity to strengthen yourself and your community. “‘I hope this is the first Resilience Cafe of many,” said Reed with Zabara echoing the sentiment, saying, “We're hoping to have a lot of different collaborators for upcoming events so we can continue to provide these skill-sharing workshops.”

If you would like to get involved or have skills you would like to share at the next Resilience Cafe, reach out to Erin Cannan at [email protected]. 

The Annandale Advocate would like to thank Jillian Reed ‘21, Masha Zabara ‘21, and Nadia Trinidad ‘28 for sharing their time and thoughtful responses.

Post Date: 04-04-2025