 Eileen Johnson, a community leader and longtime Metropolitan Family Service patron was the inspiration for the concept of A Gathering of Good.
After her passing in 2005, MFS wanted to establish an ongoing legacy that honored Eileen, highlighted the work of MFS and served the community.
Eileen’s husband, Dave Johnson, and a group of her friends helped create and launch A Gathering of Good, pairing Eileen’s love of lively and provocative conversation and the MFS mission to connect people with their communities.
Eileen’s dinner parties made you think out loud, challenge your beliefs, and explore new ones as you enjoyed good food, wine & conversation. She believed that by getting involved, each of us can be a positive force for change.
Today we have a new model for community involvement; a way for people to learn more about an interesting topic in a comfortable dinner setting with knowledgeable conversation leaders. We believe this approach plants the seeds of activism.
While electronic communication is an essential part of life now, we feel there’s still – and will always be – great value in face-to-face discussion to promote civic engagement and social change.
 The annual Provocateur award is presented in Eileen’s honor to a local leader who has the courage to ask the hard questions, brings public awareness of social issues facing children and families, and who is striving to improve the lives of so many in our community.
Metropolitan Family Service programs help people facing economic and cultural barriers such as health-related issues, poverty, inadequate education and isolation. Last year our programs helped more than 33,000 children, families and older adults.
Because
together, we can do more. |
