Erin Patrice, Founder of The Breaking Bread Village, featured in the latest podcast by The Visibility Project

The newest episode of the Midland-based podcast, The Visibility Project, features the story of a woman working to connect the community through shared conversations.

In the latest podcast from The Visibility Project, Erin Patrice, a community conversationalist and storyteller, describes her experience of moving to Midland nearly 20 years ago, escaping an unsafe situation. Patrice said it took a while to acclimate to the much smaller Midland compared to Cincinnati, “I was in shambles. I’m helping people now because I remember what it felt like to be isolated.”

Listeners to the episode will hear the story of a young student named Johnny who was a bit “rough around the edges.” He kept getting into trouble at school until Patrice asked him why. Why was he repeating this behavior that kept resulting in scolding? And his answer changed everything. “Understanding someone else’s story is so important,”  Patrice said.

Patrice and Visibility Project host Amy Phoenix discuss how Patrice started The Breaking Bread Village (TBBV)  in 2020 in response to the anger and divisiveness she saw in the country, particularly on social media. With the pandemic, the election, and George Floyd’s murder, “2020 was a crazy year for everyone,” she said. TBBV aims to unite people and create connections by intentionally listening and exploring differing viewpoints.

To listen to more of the conversation with Erin Patrice, visit https://www.midlandfoundation.org/thevisibilityproject/ or search for The Visibility Project wherever you access podcasts.

The Visibility Project is an initiative of the Midland Area Community Foundation’s Cultural Awareness Coalition. The Visibility Project is a storytelling podcast to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.