Hearth Community Potluck: Warmth, Play, and Reflection
On a cold December 19, 2025, we transformed the first floor of Prime Produce into a living room—bowls of Soup Asam (Indonesian tamarind soup), homemade desserts, and a circle of new and old friends honoring the year we’d just lived.
Marina is adding her movement page to the collective story game.
What the night felt like
People stepped in from the cold, shed their layers, and found a cozy room buzzing with conversation. The potluck table filled quickly—half a dozen homemade dishes and desserts, from Filipino tofu–green bean fried rice to home-baked Ghirardelli-chocolate cookies. I shared quick 2025 highlights, introduced the Moving Rasa board members who were present, and then opened the Hearth.
We set a small Southeast Asian–textile Hearth bag under a warm spotlight and invited everyone to write down the relationships most dear to them. One by one, we placed those strips of paper into the bag—letting the light hold them. With our hearts tended, we ate, laughed, and played.
Our game was Moving Rasa’s new cooperative movement-storytelling practice, Once Upon a Rasa. Five story images were drawn; each player added a “page” using only movement. Milk crates became car seats, draperies turned into batik dresses, and hilarious non-verbal micro-scenes unfolded. After the movement, we voiced what stories had emerged. The Rasa—our shared flavor of experience—was palpable.
Raffle joy
We also ran a playful fundraiser raffle with Austronesian-forward prizes—indigenous Filipina jewelry and purses, plus whimsical doggie tarot cards (thank you, Lorial Crowder!). Laughter was contagious, with just a hint of “white-elephant” energy that took me back to childhood holidays at my father’s cousin’s home.
Why Hearth matters
Hearth sits near the winter solstice for a reason. Winter invites inwardness—time to reflect, digest the year, and rekindle what matters. Doing that with community—nourishing food, ease, and playful connection—builds the trust that fuels shared action and, over time, shared resourcing. Hearth is how we practice that slow, steady warmth together.
Tiny moments we loved
The hush as names and memories were placed into the Hearth bag.
A domino of giggles when a milk crate became a sedan.
A plate passed, a story offered, and an entire table leaning in.
“What a lovely, warm community this is.” — a newcomer to the space.
Gratitude & next steps
Deep thanks to everyone who cooked, cleaned, hosted, brought raffle items, watched kiddos, and held the room with care. Thank you for helping to make our second annual Hearth a success.