A lot of young people want to change the world, but Destiny Watson, a senior at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, is getting a head start.
The founding president of You Matter 2, a youth philanthropy group “dedicated to changing the world and raising awareness about local and global issues,” is hosting On the Table, an open forum for community residents age 15 and up from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 10 at Irwin Center, 18120 Highland Ave. in Homewood.
Intended to be an annual event, On the Table is “designed to elevate civic conversation, foster new relationships and create a unifying experience across the region,” Watson told the Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle.
“We want to bring the Homewood-Flossmoor community together as a whole for one night and discuss ways we can create unity within our towns,” she wrote. “These conversations can inspire new ways people can work together to make their communities stronger, safer and more dynamic.”
Below is a brief Q&A with her:
How did you come up with the idea for On the Table?
On the Table was brought to my attention by The Chicago Community Trust who puts together these events every year.
What do you want participants to get from attending?
This event is open to anyone who lives or works in the Homewood-Flossmoor community ranging from ages 15 and up. We want the participants to be able to meet new people in the community as well as brainstorm ideas to improve our community. This event is all about creating unity among the different areas in our town.
How have you spread the word in advance?
We have been spreading the word through social media and word of mouth.
Who in the H-F community is involved?
The entire H-F community will be involved in the event. What’s different about our event is that it’s actually being hosted by youth, and we’re providing dinner. We want to let our community know that us youth actually care about what’s going in our community, and want to help make a difference
What’s the goal for this event?
The goal of this event is bring our community together over a meal. Our goal is to come up with solutions to unite our community.
Interested persons can sign up for On the Table at http://www.youmatter2.com/register-for-on-the-table.html.