09/13/2025
Hello and welcome to Read Against the Machine Terrace’s book club and volunteer group! We hope this short introductory paragraph helps shed some light on what exactly we mean when we say things such as, “Bring people together to foster community and feelings of self-sufficiency by way of group education and discussion and from selected reading materials enhanced through volunteer opportunities for reading club members.” for example.
To begin, we would like to thank The Garage for generously providing us this space, and for any and all volunteer opportunities we may be provided because of them. We would also like to acknowledge that we are on the unceded traditional territories of the Ts'msyen (Tsimshian) people. Engaging and building with the Indigenous stewards of the land we are guests on is an important facet of what we aim to achieve, and we are constantly learning how to contribute more productively.
Our goal with this club is to encourage members of the community to practice engaging with theory (reading books/papers/etc) and then take those lessons and teachings (and questions) and put them into practice by way of volunteering. We hope to achieve feelings of self-sufficiency, community, and strengthen our communication and collaboration skills. The more empowered we as individuals feel, the more empowering we can do as a collective. This will include learning about social systems and programs that are available in our community, as well as surrounding communities as often as possible. We hope to relate those teachings with relevant book club materials (for example, if we pick a book on gardening, our social services focus will be around food security programs and the like).
The book we are currently reading is "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Each of us read at our own pace and bring our own insights to the group meetings; having a busy life is one of the main ways communities lose touch with each other. We want to be an open door, or stepping stone, to busy people finding or making the time to come and sit with your neighbours to discuss ideas in the book and how they relate to the wider world.
Please search up "The Garage Terrace" or follow this tag: The Garage - Terrace, BC to get involved with their volunteer opportunities as well. They are a wealth of knowledge and resources!
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to [email protected]. Either Hannah or I will be happy to assist or collaborate with any of our members or prospective members.
