​Versión en Español

La Mesa Turquesa Community Center

Concept: ​

A place to build community.
​Our community center space is centrally located in the town of Antequera, Spain. La Mesa Turquesa is a place where newcomers to our community (refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers) can come a sit and share in a cup of coffee or tea, practice conversation and their new language skills, play a game of chess or cards or backgammon, and build new relationships with neighbors in their new community. We are a family living room - a place of peace and friendship and calm - a place to call "home". 

​A Place…

• to connect people to each other 
• to connect newcomers to services and opportunities and people of peace in our town
• to meet friends
• where people can feel welcome
• that feels like “home”, or at least a new place to call home
• to share culture
• where natural conversations can happen
• of safety and rest

La Mesa Turquesa Community Center

• Centrally located
• Where people can:
  • come and hang out,
  • enjoy a coffee or a cup of tea (self-serve),
  • practice language skills,
  • play table games,
  • learn about culture
    
  • and build relationships. ​

Serving our neighbors

• a community center space (1075 sq ft), 
• Open 10am-1pm and 6pm-8pm, with special afternoons and evenings open for special classes, tutoring, or community and cultural events.
• Our space can be used for workshops, classes, study, cultural dinners, game nights, art, and music. A place to celebrate birthdays or cultural events with new family in a new place. 
• A place where loving your neighbor can be lived out among our new neighbors in very tangible and relational ways. #loveyourneighbor

Atmosphere:

• A very large turquoise table (La Mesa Turquesa) in the center of the room for games, group conversations, craft projects, study groups, classes, large group meals, etc.
• Sofas and armchairs and small sitting areas around the room for more intimate conversation areas. Small tea tables.
• Wi-Fi!  Refugees and displaced people thrive on Wi-Fi as it is their only way of communicating with family and friends left behind or those who made it to other countries. 
• International culture décor… a huge world map on one wall, with a smattering of country maps all around it to help people connect to countries of origin, sense of pride, memory. A photo gallery wall or photo art project (collaborative project with the refugees themselves helping design it) that showcases their photos that they submit for display.

Who Benefits?

• La Mesa Turquesa Community Center directly reaches immigrants and displaced people to connect them with the local community, local people, culture and the reality of global issues.
• La Mesa Turquesa also gives an opportunity for community members to serve and connect in a variety of ways, breaks out of traditional outreach and integrates daily life with community, brings various city / community / non-profit / and church entities together to work on a single initiative, connects newcomers to our community in positive ways…