By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
What’s on your mind?
That’s what the Lawrence Township Community Foundation wants to find out in its third Community Conversation set for March 21 at The Lawrenceville School.
The event, billed as a chance to meet neighbors and discuss important issues, begins with an informal 8:30 a.m. meet-and-greet period in the Clark Music Center at the school.
Representatives from nonprofit groups — ranging from Project Freedom, the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center, Meals on Wheels, the National Association for the Mentally Ill to the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville — will set up informational tables.
The program begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. Moderator Calvin Thomas of the Support Center for Nonprofit Management will outline the format and objectives of the session, and then participants will break up into smaller groups. They will reconvene to identify concerns and brainstorm possible solutions.
“We want to get the pulse of the community,” said Karla Stein, vice president of the Lawrence Township Community Foundation. “How can we better enrich our community? We did it several years ago (when the discussion focused on making Lawrence a green community).”
Sustainable Lawrence, the nonprofit group that encourages sustainability and conservation, grew out of that community conversation, Ms. Stein said. The concept of sustainability has taken root in neighboring communities, spawning Sustainable Princeton, for example.
“(The Saturday morning small-group sessions) are not limited to specific topics,” Ms. Stein said. “It’s about whatever people want to talk about — school, traffic flow, how to get senior citizens more involved. It’s about whatever needs are not being addressed.”
The small groups may include A Healthy and Safe Lawrence, which is about preserving and protecting the community; Being a Good Neighbor, which encourages creating community; and Promoting Lawrence Township, focused on businesses, schools and nonprofit agencies.
Other groups are Engaging Our Youth, which deals with programs and activities for young people; Getting Around Lawrence, focusing on biking, walking and driving; and Golden Years, which is centered on engaging seniors in the community.
“Now, more than ever before because of the economy, there may be more domestic violence, mental illness and depression, and homelessness,” Ms. Stein said. “What can we, as a community, do? This is an opportunity for us to help these people. Maybe a nonprofit group could start a new program (to address newly discovered needs).”
The LTCF, which was organized in 2002, awards grants to support nonprofit organizations that offer services to township residents. It also fosters supportive community and private sector relationships to serve the needs and interests of township residents.
For additional information on the Community Conversation event or the LTCF, contact Ms. Stein at 896-3344.

