Brian Groves
I originally joined United as Neighbors, hoping I might be able to help see some change in the community. However, it didn’t take long to realize that the best reason to participate was to help myself. I have a lot of opinions, and it is highly stressful to live in a world with people who have very different opinions, especially if they are aggressive in how they express them. I came to realize that our favorite “right” and “left” media outlets do more than help reenforce our opinions, they also help to foment greater distrust and set the stage for cultural conflict. By meeting regularly with people that I both agree with and disagree with, I have come to find that the more I can keep my emotions in check, the less anxious and depressed I become about world events. I am a small piece of a very large puzzle. By continuously practicing a respect for others without sacrificing my beliefs or values, the more I might be able to “influence” the health of our community. I have no illusions that I have achieved any sort of grand transformation where I am not bothered by conflict or that I have patience for all. However, participation does help keep me mindful that with all my flaws, I might still have a chance to learn and grow.
Ron Mock
The strongest groups welcome disagreement and listen to every voice without losing trust. Every advance in human history arose from a disagreement. The ability to offer and embrace trustworthy disagreement, and to listen to it closely, is crucial for any community.
I am a loyal United as Neighbors participant because UasN hits all the sweet spots. The people involved are widely different in their political views and other interests, but all are committed to embracing our disagreements and listening to them. Working with my UasN friends is itself a rich, hopeful, and fruitful experience. Being an introvert, I might never have met many of them if it weren’t for UasN. What we do together is helping our community move away from the hateful political and social polarization rampant in America.
Heather Lewis
United as Neighbors is a way for me to connect with my greater community to hear others and learn from them. My hope is that we can all learn to be better listeners and better neighbors by doing so.
United As Neighbors of Newberg and Dundee Oregon 