By Rita Price, The Columbus Dispatch
On a map, Aliena Sword says, the boundaries of her Clinton Township community look as jagged as jack-o’-lantern teeth.
But neighbors — whether tending a communal garden, hosting a picnic or supplying the tiny food pantry — can come together nicely. Sword is happy to provide the nudge.
“Stirring the pot for the greater good,” she said, smiling. “We need more of that.”
Sword was among some 5,000 central Ohioans who gathered Wednesday in homes and offices, in schools and shops and libraries, for an hour of organized community discourse known as the Big Table. Started by the Columbus Foundation last summer, the Big Table aims to bring people together to talk, listen and learn from one another.
“There’s a lot of activity all at once, which is what we want,” said Kelley Griesmer, a senior vice president at the Columbus Foundation. “The goal is to have just as many people as possible participate.”