Giving Back: The BethsAida Community Table

The conference center at BethsAida already hosts a remarkable range of people — corporate training one day, an NGO workshop the next, a homeowners' association, a women's network, even the occasional baby shower. We wanted to build something into that mix that reflects what the property is for.

Here is the idea. Community groups and NGOs that can't meet the standard rate can block a recurring slot — every Tuesday evening, say — at a reduced rate. In return, each participating group puts a small amount, perhaps twenty dollars, into a shared community pot.

Each month, the groups themselves decide where that pot goes. A child's school fees. A family having a hard time. A cause that's surfaced in the news. We provide the room at cost; the community decides the good it does.

As the founder put it: I'm giving you my place at a very low rate — the least I'd ask is that you help out, be a good Samaritan, and give something back. The model is still finding its feet, but the principle is fixed. Watch this space.