The stories we've inherited—individualism, extraction, racism, patriarchy—aren’t serving the world. But writing better stories for ourselves and for our kids isn't easy.
Noodle Club is where we practice. Over the course of a year, ten people gather monthly around a big pasta dinner. We read a book together, share our own stories, and hear from someone living inside a broken system. Then we pool money for community leaders doing the work to change that system.
Noodle Club is a place to noodle on big ideas, build deep friendships, and write new stories we can live into together.
For Noodle Club to work its magic, ten people commit to getting together every month for a year. We start by getting to know one another, then spend the year exploring three big topics, giving each one a full season of shared meals, stories, and conversation with people who live inside the systems we're learning about. Each member hosts once, inviting the Club into their home (or another spot for a meal), and every Noodle Night is shaped around three courses (usually a salad, a pasta, and a dessert) and a few big questions about the stories we encounter.
Throughout the year, we're connected by stories: the stories we've inherited, the stories we've lived, the stories we hear from people living inside broken systems, and the new stories we can write together. We might read a book together, tour a new part of the city, or listen to a podcast between gatherings. Nobody needs to be an expert on any topic. We invite (and compensate) people closest to the issues to share their own challenges and their own solutions, and we take time to reflect together so the learning has room to sink in and change us.
Each group member contributes $100/month for 12 months. The first two payments build an honoraria pool so guests who share their lived experience are compensated for their time. The rest we give through Grapevine, a giving circle platform, to community-led groups addressing the topics we discuss. As a group, we'll pool our money and make three $3,000 donations, creating a level of impact that most of us couldn't create on our own. At our November celebration, we'll decide together where our final month's contributions will go. By the end of the year, each person will have made $1,000 in tax-deductible donations to community-led nonprofits. Yay #GiveAGrand!
