Love in Action Cattaraugus County

01/29/2026

One of our members joined the Olean Rotary Club to talk about Love in Action and principled nonviolence over lunch. Check out the article here! Thank you to the Olean Rotary Club for having us and for the great discussion about this important topic! We are grateful to be part of a community that values community, peace, and supporting one another.

OLEAN — Members of the Olean Rotary Club recently welcomed Kennedy Scott of Love in Action, Cattaraugus County for a discussion on the philosophy and practice of nonviolence during their biweekly m…

01/02/2026

LiA is excited to share this opportunity on Jan 17th to join Race Unity Circle of Olean for A Tribute To Martin Luther King Jr.! Enjoy some favorite foods of MLK Jr’s while learning more about him, his impact, the importance of community, & more❤️

See attached flyer for more info, call OPL with any questions. See you there!

12/27/2025

Happy holidays, everyone! We hope this is a time to connect, recharge, and live mindfully 🎄❤️💚

We will be back next week with continued posts about Principled Nonviolence!

12/15/2025

Last week, we posted about the 6 principles of nonviolence. Today, let’s focus on the first principle:

“Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.”

In what ways have you used NV to live courageously? Some examples might be holding someone accountable while still recognizing their humanity; choosing integrity over revenge when wronged; speaking up against bullying or wrongdoing at work or school. Do any of these resonate with you? Can you think of your own examples you’ve been working through lately?

12/09/2025

On the attached image are Dr. King Jr’s 6 Principles of Nonviolence. We’ve been considering these at our meetings lately and asking ourselves how we are practicing these in our lives. We invite you to pick one principle, think about how you have been living that principle or an area in your life you want to add one, and if you feel comfy doing so we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Reach out for our next meeting info. Hope to see you there!

12/05/2025

Sending a big thank you to everyone that was able to join our event, Intro to Nonviolent Communication, last night! Also lots of gratitude to OPL who is always so helpful & wonderful and Gwen Olton for facilitating and helping us learn more about NVC!

Seeing so many faces, new and familiar, is such a great reminder that we are all in this together and we are a community searching for ways to connect and have open dialogue about all kinds of topics ❣️

We look forward to learning more with you all, keep an eye out for more events in the future!

12/03/2025

Don’t forget! Intro to nonviolent communication tonight at OPL. Please register if you can and we will see you there 😊

11/20/2025

10/16/2025

'John Lewis: Good Trouble' , Part 2, Will Be Shown at the Olean Public Library on October 21st

In honor of the late Congressman John Lewis and his enduring legacy of nonviolent resistance, Love In Action Cattaraugus County, the Race Unity Circle and The League of Women Voters of Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties are sponsoring a three-part screening of the acclaimed documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble” at the Olean Public Library, 134 North Second St.
In addition to the screening chronicling Lewis’s lifelong advocacy for civil rights, Tuesday's program will feature a discussion of the films’ impact on viewers as well as how participants can cultivate “good trouble” in their own lives to protect democracy and promote justice.

Light refreshments will be served.

To RSVP, contact the Olean Public Library at 716-372-0200 or text 716-373-2217.

09/02/2025

Presented by Love in Action and Olean Public Library:
Take it Down a Notch: An Experiential De-Escalation Workshop facilitated by Gwen Olton, author, activist, conflict worker and artist.
When we’re low on resilience and high on stress it becomes easier for any of us to speak or act in ways that can seem frightening, intense, and escalated to others. In this experiential workshop we’ll learn more about what’s going on within our bodies and minds when we witness and participate in highly escalated interactions. We’ll learn and practice strategies to de-escalate ourselves and support others in returning to their baselines in order to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Friday, September 26 from 5:30 - 8:30, dinner provided, at St. Stephen’s Church Parish Hall, 109 S. Barry St., Olean. Registration requested: Call 716-372-0200 or text: 716-373-2217.