Broadening our definitions and methods of connection has been a common theme throughout the pandemic—one that requires creativity and a commitment to purpose for non-profits like Accent Pontiac.
In order to live out its mission to support music education for youth and community in Pontiac, Michigan, the organization persevered by pivoting to “porch lessons” outside students’ homes and other modifications such as incorporating instrument covers that help limit the aerosol transmission when playing wind or brass instruments.
Reimagining the Fundraiser
It was also challenged to reimagine the approach to its vital annual fundraiser after being forced to cancel the 2020 event. For Spring 2021, the dedicated staff leaned in to lessons learned about the opportunities afforded when blending the digital and physical worlds.
Nibble & Notes Chef Kelli Lewton
Accent Pontiac and Chef Kelli Lewton of Two Unique Caterers conceived of a virtual cooking fundraiser called “Nibbles & Notes” to bridge the distance, in real time, and provide a form of nourishment we are all craving: connection to community and appreciation of shared experiences. Offering a delicious menu, take-home food box, and inspiring cooking lesson proved appealing to potential donors—from those who had used time at home over the past year to hone their cooking skills to local families that appreciated fresh recipe ideas and quality time around the table with loved ones. Participants could contribute and engage in various ways, whether choosing to prep ahead or simply plate-and-serve as they followed along while Kelli shared tips through the menu.
While Accent Pontiac is making music education accessible for the community, this activity helped make cooking accessible and fun for the participants. Kelli created a Spring-orientated menu with nibbles and noshes, encouraging a more communal style that lends itself to mixing and mingling.
Kelli finds this way of eating both comforting and gratifying, helping to demystify the concept of entertaining: “It’s communal and about sharing experiences. It’s not really about making the dip from scratch.”
She featured recipes that can be made in 5-15 minutes with easy advance prep, to reduce stress that might be a deterrent to entertaining.
“Make Your Own” (MYO) Concept
Kelli also offered many dishes that can be served at room temperature, so the host does not get stuck in the kitchen during the meal or event. For example, arranging “a fun deconstructed nosh bar presented with various flavored, bite-sized crostini; multi-grain, sourdough, pumpernickel, bagel or pita chips and upscale crackers.” This “Make Your Own” (MYO) Spring Smear Bar” allows guests to create their own personal little bite with menu items like Spring pea hummus or whipped brie with roasted balsamic strawberries. Other tasty dishes included asparagus flat bread, dill salmon skewers, crab stuffed eggs, and lamb chops with carrot top pesto.
Beyond cooking, Kelli seeks to give people permission to “MYO Party” (@myoparty). As part of the Accent Pontiac virtual fundraiser, she shared ideas for infusing your event with Spring décor as well as winemaker Ryan Clifford’s expertise in wine pairings celebrating light and crisp flavors.
Nibble & Notes Appetizer
Also a culinary educator, she says the platform she works from is about being inclusive. “We have to make it accessible. Take out the stuffy old rules, and let people imagine and be passionate about things. I think that would really encourage people to understand food. The more we can reach people through an easier way to do food, then the more they’ll be engaged. The more they are engaged, the more they’ll learn…After all, the beginning point for health is what you eat.” Kelli noted that the restaurant world, like many other industries, is rediscovering and reimagining itself in light of adaptations and benefits of increased digital ways to connect. “Technology is such an opportunity and a blessing, that we can reach each other and feel community through that.”
Looking ahead, she is considering cooking classes through social media and incorporating other forms of digital engagement. “It’s a very dynamic platform to raise our vibration and our message.”
Zoom meetings, live streams, hybrid meetings; these are all phrases that have had major implications and involvement in our lives in the past year. Living in a COVID-19 world has drastically altered the way we live our lives, the way we communicate with each other, the way we attend events. Zoom has gone from an invisible, unrecognizable name to an everyday ritual. After almost a year of living this way, many have been raising questions about our future: Are these digital changes going to become a permanent fixture within culture and society?
“Having a digital option for the foreseeable future will be very important,” Nate says. “Once we’ve started, we can’t stop.”
One particular group affected by these changes is a small group from Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Led by Kirk’s head pastor, Nate Phillips, this men’s Bible study group would meet every Thursday morning and have breakfast together. Of course, when COVID-19 hit, this community’s bond was ruptured and they had to stop meetings altogether. Like so many other communities, this pandemic forced them apart. As months continued to pass in this quarantined world, changes began to surface. Kirk’s worship services shifted entirely to digital streaming. Services became prerecorded and would premiere on Facebook live every Sunday. It’s interesting to note that before the pandemic, there was no need for technology and streaming services within the church. Yet now, hi-tech cameras and microphones are used so frequently to make their beautiful service videos, and even drones have been used to create wide shots of the church as the music plays.
As these changes became fixtures in the Kirk’s services, pastor Nate Phillips started to gain some ideas about how to keep meeting with his Bible study group. With the rise of social distanced gatherings, Phillips began to wonder if he could incorporate social distancing into meetings. He was reminded of summer camp as a kid, meeting around the firepit and being with a community, as well as the book of Acts (Acts 28:1), encountering the idea of Jesus meeting his disciples around the fire. Nate thought that these would be excellent ideas to carry into his Bible study group, and as outdoors became a safer option, installing a fire pit outdoors at the Kirk became a perfect way to meet up and socially distance.
Of course, he also had to factor in the idea that not every member would be comfortable meeting up at the fire pit. COVID is still a threat to many lives, and Phillips wanted to earnestly take account of this. To accommodate these varying comfort levels, he had the wonderful idea of fusing the technology of Kirk worship services with socially distanced meetings; a form of hybrid worship he called going “phygital”, a combination of physical and digital. Those who are comfortable will join pastor Phillips at the fire to do Bible studies, but even if they want to stay home, the meetings were being simulcast via Zoom so members could comfortably participate. “Having a digital option for the foreseeable future will be very important,” Nate says. “Once we’ve started, we can’t stop.” Nate and many others seem to latch on to the idea that “phygital” will become the new normal, and it’s important to be prepared for that new normal. Pastor Nate is actively working to prepare more places within the Kirk for “phygital” meetings, including the upper room and refectory. He also is working on adding physical aspects to worship services along with the recordings.
“He fed them by the fire”, Mike Baird
It’s a very interesting prospect moving forward; while it’s wonderful that varying comfort levels will be accommodated for, it forces the Kirk to implement new technology and work much harder at providing comfortable services for all. There are many different modes of engagement in this pandemic world, and as Nate Phillips states, this will likely continue even after the effects have subsided.
For the fire pit meetings, the Kirk uses a laptop hosting a Zoom link connected to the Internet using a Verizon hotspot. They use an Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone connected to the Zoom host laptop near Nate to pick up his voice and to hear those calling in on Zoom. This Speakerphone has about an 8 foot range. A Bietrun UHF wireless microphone is also passed around to members around the fire pit to adequately hear them through Zoom. The wireless microphone comes with a Rechargeable Receiver that is plugged into an iPad that had also joined the Zoom meeting as a participant. A Logitech Conference Cam BCC950 is also used to pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) the camera angles in the Zoom meetings and capture all of the members. Finally, two 42″ Tall Portable Truss Counter tables were used to use as stands for the camera and laptop.
