GUIDE

FOR
HOSTING
YOUR OWN
COMMUNITY
COFFEE SHOPS
on the future of Hinton…
 Community Conversation:

What’s It All About?

Communities discover what they care

about through conversation.
 Conversation is a part of life.
AND

It’s an important part of community building.

In conversation, we not only discover what we care about,

we uncover new ideas for building a diversified, engaged,
vibrant and sustainable community.
WHAT is a …
Community Coffee Shop Conversation?
A Community Coffee Shop Conversation happens when
people get together to talk. A conversation can take place
wherever people can gather:

kitchens, living rooms, offices, schools, libraries,

community centres, places of worship.

All it takes is a few people and a few good questions!

Getting Started:

The Community Coffee Shop Kit supports

people to come together to talk about
the things that matter to them, and
to generate action for positive change.

The Goal?

Increased awareness, diversity and

engagement in our community.
It’s as Easy as ….

1. Invite a family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

2. Review the goals and actions (found at the back of the

guide) to modify, add and create ideas for a healthy,
vibrant and diverse Hinton community – you can help!

3. Jot down ideas as they emerge.

“the best way to predict the future is to invent it”

- Alan C. Kay
1. PLAN THE PEOPLE AND PLACE
WHO HOSTS?

Anyone can host a Community Coffee Shop. You don’t

need to be an experienced facilitator, just someone
who cares about their community and enjoys
conversation with others.
THE PEOPLE?
HOW MANY PEOPLE should participate?

Conversations can happen in groups of two or twenty. But

small groups work best – 8 to 10 is a good size.

WHO WILL I INVITE?

With diverse thinking and diverse experiences to draw on,

new insights are possible, as well as new ideas for action.
So, choose people who hold diverse perspectives, and who
are able to respect and respond to the perspectives of
others.
THE PLACE?
Conversations can take place anywhere.

 kitchen  library

 living room  community centres

 office  place of worship

 school  backyard, local park

The weather’s getting nice folks!

2. CONVERSATION GUIDELINES
Here are a few questions to help shape your conversation
about your community:

What is great about where we live?

What isn’t so great and how can it be changed?

How can each of us make a contribution?

How would we describe our community’s greatest
potential?

Can we help turn community potential into community
reality?
PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES ….

1. Encourage creative communication:

Share thinking and experience

Encourage diverse ideas and perspectives

Listen to understand

Expect disagreement

Connect Ideas

Listen together for patterns
2. Conversation Etiquette: A few guidelines….

How we talk together is a good indicator of how we make

community together. It’s important to bring our “best-
self” to the conversation. This means that:

Everyone speaks – from the heart as well as the head.

Everyone listens – with curiosity and respect.

Everyone challenges – not each other, but our own fondly held
assumptions.

Everyone learns – about ourselves, about others, and about our
community.

Everyone imagines – possibilities and potentials for positive change

Everyone makes a difference! Each of us through our own thinking
and actins, contributes to the building of a healthy community.
Closing the conversation …
Close your conversation with some reflection:

What did we learn about our community?

What insights emerged from our conversation?

How will these insights influence our thinking and action
– tomorrow, and into the future?
CONTENT FOR CONVERSATION…
The Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) is supporting the
Community Coffee Shop as an initiative to get people to
share their ideas and dreams to in building a diversified,
engaged, vibrant and sustainable community over the next
30 years.

The CAG has been working with community feedback

through surveys and to-date has drafted a 30 year vision
along with goals and actions to achieve that vision through
9 nine strategy areas. They need to know if they are
getting it right and what’s missing…. here’s your
opportunity to contribute!
A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING….

Community Sustainability Planning (CSP)

Attached is a Powerpoint presentation that will provide

you with an overview of the process undertaken to
develop a Hinton & Area Community Sustainability Plan.
COFFEE SHOP CONTENT
Attached is the current content for your community
coffee shop conversation. Please use the forms attached
to provide your group’s feedback.

1. Registration Form
2. Draft Vision Statement for 2040
3. General Discussion

Please use the forms attached to provide your group’s

feedback.
THANK YOU….
Thank you for participating in the Community Coffee Shop
Conversation!

Your input will have a direct influence in this planning

process that will shape our community and ultimately
affect all of us!

Regards,

CITIZENS ADVISORY GROUP

STAY CONNECTED…

We’d like to hear from you THROUGHOUT the planning

process to developing a Community Sustainability Plan.

E-mail us at anytime at: citizensadvisorygroup@hinton.ca

Visit Us On-line: www.hinton.ca - Community Sustainability Plan

www.hinton2040.ca
Facebook: - Hinton & Area Community Sustainability Plan

Contact: Wendy Lesser, MSP Coordinator

p. 780-865-6077
e. wlesser@hinton.ca
REGISTRATION & Return of Materials
When you are ready to host your Community Coffee
Shop Conversation, please contact Wendy Lesser, MSP
Coordinator to ensure that you have the most recent kit
and for any assistance in preparing for your coffee shop.

Please return your completed Community Coffee Shop

Conversation forms to:
Citizens Advisory Group
2nd Fl., 131 Civic Centre Road
Hinton, AB T7V 2E5
Attention: Wendy Lesser, MSP Coordinator
p. 780-865-6077 e. wlesser@hinton.ca
A SMALL TOKEN OF APPRECIATION

In appreciation of your leadership in hosting a Community

Coffee Shop Conversation, we wish to provide you with a
$30.00 cash reimbursement upon return of the completed
forms.

Qualifications for reimbursements:

Registered no less than 10 people for your coffee shop

conversation and have provided their names and contact
information.

Completed and returned all forms in their entirety.
FORM 1 REGISTRATION
Coffee Shop Host Name:
Location of Coffee Shop:
Host Contact Information:
Total Number of Registered
Participants:
Participants:
Name: Contact Info: E-mail Address:
FORM 2
 Complete the enclosed hard copy surveys for the
Vision Statement.
FORM 3 – General Discussion
 Below are some general questions that we would like you
to have a general conversation around. Please provide
your feedback on the forms provided.

What is great about where we live?

What isn’t so great and how can it be changed?

How can each of us make a contribution?

How would we describe our community’s greatest
potential?

Can we help turn community potential into community
reality?
There is no right or wrong answers to these questions.
FORM – Work in Progress
 The Community Sustainability Planning process is a
work-in-progress project. As we continue to draft
and build on the content of the plan, we will be
updating the Community Coffee Shop Kit with
additional information for your group’s comment.

 Please check with Wendy Lesser, MSP Coordinator

prior to hosting your coffee shop to see if additional
content is available.
FORM 3 – Group Working Sheets

What is great about where we live?

__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
FORM 2 – Group Working Sheets

What isn’t so great and how can it be changed?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
FORM 2 – Group Working Sheets

How can each of us make a contribution?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
FORM 3 – Group Working Sheets

How would we describe our community’s greatest
potential?
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
FORM 2 – Group Working Sheets

Can we help turn community potential into
community reality?
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________