Resilience Is Relational: Building Community Before We Need It
Thursday, November 12, 2026, 6:00 PM PST – 8:30 PM PST
Bivouac Adventure Lodge: Cider Bar, Coffee Shop, & General Store · 3980 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104, USA
Hosted by Big Idea Night
When life gets hard, we’re often told to be resilient: manage our stress, adapt to change, develop grit, and bounce back. But what happens when resilience becomes one more thing we’re expected to do alone? Sara Schairer and Hansen Hunt have a different idea: resilience also lives in the relationships between us. Resilience grows when neighbors know one another, when people feel comfortable asking for help, and when care becomes something we practice before a crisis arrives. Sara’s work focuses on compassion and how people support one another through emotionally demanding experiences. Hansen builds spaces where people can form meaningful connections. Together, they’re exploring what it would take to treat connection and compassion as part of a community’s infrastructure—something we intentionally build into our neighborhoods, organizations, and systems. At this interactive Big Idea Night, we’ll talk about what makes us feel like we belong, who we could turn to when life gets hard, and one step each of us could take to build a more connected community. Come ready to meet people and help imagine what a neighborhood that truly shows up for one another might look like. Venue: Bivouac Cidery Adventure Lodge in North Park. Doors open at 6. Talk begins at 7. Help support our host venue by arriving early to get a drink, something to eat and meet fellow attendees. Registration includes a free drink ticket. We'll have some interactive points of discussion out too. Parking Pro-Tip: Use the parking garage on 29th & North Park Way. $5 parking for the night and only two blocks from the venue. About the Speakers Sara Schairer is the founder and executive director of Compassion It®, a nonprofit that inspires everyday compassionate action. A TEDx speaker and author of A Case for Compassion, she has spent 14 years teaching compassion to people across a wide range of settings. She teaches mindfulness and compassion at San Diego State University and developed Compassion-Centered Resilience Training for teams doing emotionally demanding work. Hansen Hunt is a community builder and facilitator who designs experiences that help people form meaningful connections. He leads Connection Crew by Covve and has helped create several San Diego community initiatives, including the San Diego Chamber of Connection, Longer Tables San Diego, and the Mission Beach Neighbor Hang, which he co-created with Sara. Together, Sara and Hansen are exploring how connection and compassion can help communities build resilience before they need it.