+More Perfect Union

If you believe in making genuine connections with people you might never have met through meaningful conversations — you're in the right place. +More Perfect Union (+MPU) is a nonprofit whose mission is to build meaningful connections and close divides throughout the country. We create community engagement through our Brickyards based on our core values of Service, Mercy, Hope, Humility, Virtue, and Courage. Veteran-led, we train local service-minded leaders to build a foundation on leadership development, service, and civic education. We can accomplish more united than divided, and we need to meet our neighbors, serve and break bread together, and talk through the hard discussions to reach common ground for each other, our community, and our country. Join the movement to be a part of our future events and how we're growing at the link here: https://lnkd.in/eyVNMaC5 👈

📚 Back-to-school season is here, and you can support your local educators by helping where they need it the most. The Silicon Valley Brickyard volunteered at RAFT - Resource Area For Teaching, described by Sandy, a director for the organization, as a "Costco for educators." Brickyard Captain Douglas S. and members of all ages used this as an opportunity to engage in civic conversations while assembling and performing quality control on these STEAM Project Kits or sorting and barcoding donated items for further use. "[There were] civic conversations that highlighted what it means to act in your community and different ways we can show care for the community as disparate groups," Doug said. "A success was recognition of the importance of getting involved." 📎 RAFT (Resource Area for Teaching) is a beacon of support for educators. They supply recycled and low-cost STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning materials to teachers, classrooms, afterschool programs, camps, churches, assisted living areas (such as for the elderly), and more. Their work is invaluable, sustainably benefiting over 8,000 educators and 150,000 students in the Bay Area and nationwide with their online store. 👩🏫 Thank you to everyone at RAFT for allowing us to serve you! The mountain of items sorted through daily builds the backbone for the future of our students. #BrickbyBrick #MPUBrickyard #Community #Connections #MPUSiliconValley #SiliconValleyBrickyard #DisagreeBetter #Teachers

🌲 Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the Evergreen State now has two Brickyards! Please give a warm welcome to Josh Wheeldon and Roxanne Shepherd of our 2024 cohort, who’ve dedicated their lives to service: 🧱 Josh is a US Army veteran and a Recovery Care Coordinator for the U.S. Army Recovery Care Program. 🧱 Roxanne is an active member of several non-profit boards and a philanthropy leader, development officer, and synergy facilitator. Here are their reasons for why they're taking the helm to be leaders in their communities. If this sounds like a group of leaders you can get behind, join their chapters or share their Brickyards with whoever is in the area at the link here: https://lnkd.in/eqDu9s6z #MPUBrickyard #CommunityLeaders #2024MPUFellowship #2024BrickyardLeaders #DisagreeBetter

⛰️ Where the peaks connect us across state lines, this is for our mountainous Brickyards. Please give a warm welcome to Rebecca Kern 🟡🟢 and Paul Tiede of our 2024 cohort, who’ve dedicated their lives to service: 🧱 Rebecca is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) professional with over 20 years of government service supporting United States Air Force, US Navy, and Joint programs. 🧱 Paul is a United States Marine Corps veteran and recently earned his PhD in clinical depth psychology. Here are their reasons for why they're taking the helm to be leaders in their communities. If this sounds like a group of leaders you can get behind, join their chapters or share their Brickyards with whoever is in the area at the link here: https://lnkd.in/dKbKERgN 👈 #MPUBrickyard #CommunityLeaders #2024MPUFellowship #2024BrickyardLeaders #DisagreeBetter

🤠 The great state of Texas is only getting greater. Please give a warm welcome to Christopher Legier, Jaquennette Harris, Matthew Taylor of our 2024 cohort, who’ve dedicated their lives to service: 🧱 Chris is a US Army veteran and a part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs / Baylor University’s research department. 🧱 Jackie is an advocate for climate action and domestic violence awareness and sales and entrepreneurship expert. 🧱 Matt is a United States Marine Corps veteran and an Operating Partner at Chicago Atlantic. Here are their reasons for why they're taking the helm to be leaders in their communities. If this sounds like a group of leaders you can get behind, join their chapters or share their Brickyards with whoever is in the area at the link here: https://lnkd.in/eqmsKeQB 👈 #MPUBrickyard #CommunityLeaders #2024MPUFellowship #2024BrickyardLeaders #DisagreeBetter

🌃 For those along the East Coast, we are proud to have three spectacular changemakers represent their areas and launch their Brickyards. Please give a warm welcome to Melissa Sims, Ph.D., Gabrielle Newell, M.Sc., and Rebecca Connell of our 2024 cohort, who’ve dedicated their lives to service: 🧱 Melissa is a US Army veteran and Chief of Human Resources for the National Park Service 🧱 Gabrielle is a community organizer and Senior Equity Advisor for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) 🧱 Rebecca is a former Central Intelligence Agency case officer and cybersecurity specialist at Dell Technologies Here are their reasons for why they're taking the helm to be leaders in their communities. If this sounds like a group of leaders you can get behind, join their chapters or share their Brickyards with whoever is in the area at the link here: https://lnkd.in/ePGNFY-h 👈 #MPUBrickyard #CommunityLeaders #2024MPUFellowship #2024BrickyardLeaders #DisagreeBetter

🌟 In a time when strong leadership is essential, it's our honor to highlight the 15 brave individuals who ventured to the heart of the Rocky Mountains to gain valuable insights and tools for uniting our nation. Please give a warm welcome to Janett I. Cordovés, Ed.D., Dee Clancy, and Lyndsey Meyer of our 2024 cohort, who’ve dedicated their lives to service: 🧱 Janett is a civic leader and Senior Program Director for the Presidents Consortium at the Institute for Citizens & Scholars. 🧱 Dee is a US Navy veteran and teacher. 🧱 Lyndsey is a US Army veteran and Citibank human resources advisor. Here are their reasons for why they're taking the helm to be leaders in their communities. If this sounds like a group of leaders you can get behind, join their chapters or share their Brickyards with whoever is in the area at the link here: https://lnkd.in/ei9b27rQ 👈 #MPUBrickyard #CommunityLeaders #2024MPUFellowship #2024BrickyardLeaders #DisagreeBetter

💭 At +MPU, we acknowledge that there isn't just one "correct" way of thinking. We ask that you think about a valuable conversation topic on "The Silos We Live In" that our DMV Brickyard hosted: In your current groups, be it with fellow hobbyists, family, friends, or religious-affiliated connections, do you recognize a familiar pattern in the physical and digital spaces you’re a part of? 🏡 Over dinner (on us), our +MPU members from Virginia, DC, and Maryland conversed about how the lack of opportunities to meaningfully engage with people unlike us leads to increased "otherness," polarization, and distrust. By sharing their personal experiences, they begin to challenge and take the lead on steps to expanding their circles. "The questions spurred good dialogue in two small groups, and everyone stayed later than scheduled and left energized by the engagement," DMV Brickyard Leader Ben B. said. Ben was happy to add that first-time +MPU attendees stood behind after the event to exchange contact information. What better way to break out of one's silo than to start here? "This showed that they made some genuine connections," he said. #BrickbyBrick #MPUBrickyard #Community #Connections #MPUDMV #DMVBrickyard #DisagreeBetter #pluralism

🗣️ Every neighborhood is a tapestry of its people. We can become a more unified nation by speaking with each other and choosing to take action to move us forward. Social gatherings allow for the free flowing and exchanges of ideas and stories that paint a more accurate picture of our lives and those around us. Such is the case for our incredible speakers at the 2024 Fellowship: Whitley Yates, Rukaiyah Adams, Jen Easterly, Dale King, Michael Rohd, and Applied Leadership Partners Sarah Holzhalb and Blayne Smith. People who embody our core values exist everywhere. Whitley walked into polarized communities who prayed for her downfall to speak about the necessity of diversity. Jen, the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) spoke on election security and the risks of polarization to our democracy. Rukaiyah campaigned for and raised capital for the 1803 Fund, which invests in historically Black neighborhoods in Oregon, and spoke about how action can build hope in the case of community building. Dale, an Army Veteran, showed how, through sheer will and determination and the lack of funds, he was able to prop up his community in its fight against opioid addiction through Crossfit. #BrickbyBrick #MPUBrickyard #Community #2024MPUFellowship #disagreebetter #pluralism

🌠 In a moment when we need leadership more than ever, we are honored to spotlight the 15 courageous individuals who had the courage to fly to a far flung place in the middle of the Rocky Mountains to gain tools and understanding on how to unite our country, brick-by-brick. Already bursting with the passion to do good, our 2024 cohort (whom we will introduce in the coming weeks) are the changemakers America has been actively searching for. They have a penchant for listening to and speaking on multiple viewpoints and stress the importance of uniting within our communities for our public welfare, equity, and betterment as Americans. We don’t have to fight and try to make someone agree — we just need to learn to #disagreebetter. If you've been hurting for hope within the past month and worried about our future as Americans, we at +MPU are dedicated to showcasing what leadership looks like and how we will keep striving for our communities. #MPUBrickyard #Community #2024MPUFellowship #pluralism