NIA New Year’s open house gathers community for great conversation

The NIA Community Services Network celebrated the beginning of 2016 by inviting its community to a New Year’s Open House.

The event took place on Thursday January 7 at NIA’s office at 66th Street and 11th Avenue.

The event served as a gathering of community leaders, school and public officials, friends and NIA staff and after-school and community partners.

NIA Communications and Development Specialist Peter Grosett noted that the event was “collegial. We invited leaders from a number of areas.” He mentions that all NIA board members were in attendance as well as elected officials.

The yearly event, Grosett added, served as a chance “to tell everyone about our year and the plans ahead and to just feel good. People who you might not normally be able to have a conversation with in a meeting, here you could.” He explains that the event was a “meet and greet” of sorts, in a “relaxed and less formal environment, with good food, wine and great conversation.”

About 150 people showed up to support the event throughout the course of the night. Grosett puts it simply: “It was kind of like, ‘Hey come over to my house and let’s chat.” Those in attendance, he said, had the opportunity to “make personal connections with the people we depend on and serve.”