Empathy in Action

Anessa (She/They) is a student at UNM pursuing an English degree, hoping one day to become a professor. She identifies as a Christian and carries a deep desire to understand others and build meaningful connections across differences.

What drew Anessa to The Open Table Connection was a longing to live out empathy in a real, tangible way. Anessa first joined The Open Table on an outing to share in an Ramadan dinner at the Raindrop Foundation. “The best way to gain empathy,” she shared, “is to get to know people and participate in their cultures,” she said, emphasizing the importance of presence over assumptions. Attending the Ramadan dinner became a powerful moment of that lived empathy. “I thought it was really nice,” she said, “and very informative,” adding thoughtfully.

What impacted her most was the sense of connection created through something simple yet profound. “Being able to eat with people,” she said, “really kind of set in that family feeling,” explaining that sharing a meal made the experience “more intimate than just sitting down and talking.” That table became more than food, it became a larger community.

After the Ramadan dinner experience with The Open Table, Anessa found herself deeply affirmed. “My opinion of the Muslim community didn’t change that much, because it was already positive,” she reflected, “but it definitely gave me an inside view of their community,” she said, recognizing how firsthand experience replaces assumptions. Her connection to The Open Table continued to grow as she attended Thursday meals at Luther House. In smaller, more intentional spaces, Anessa discovered something she had been missing. “It’s so easy to get forgotten,” she said of larger groups, but at Luther House, that wasn’t her experience. Instead, she found a place where community felt personal, where people were seen, and where empathy wasn’t just an idea, it was practiced around the table and in the community. 

More Than Community

Joan, who describes her younger self as “a sort of angsty kid,” journeyed through doubt, atheism, self-exploration, and transition before discovering a “different kind of Christianity” later in life. In 2024, Joan joined her local UCC church in Phoenix, AZ, where she was celebrated for who God made her to be and baptized into her new faith. 

Joan first noticed The Open Table Connection campus ministry while scoping out the University of New Mexico. “I drove past a little house covered in pride flags and thought, I’ll probably end up going there someday,” she laughed. When she met Pastor Rhonda at the campus club fair and learned about the Open Table Connection, “it just felt right.” She began attending Thursday dinners, where she said she found “a wonderful sense of community on campus.”

“Community isn’t just something that feels good, though,” Joan emphasized. “It’s something that keeps you safe.” As a trans woman finding her place in a new city, that sense of safety meant everything. “I have one less thing to constantly worry about,” she shared. “I know I have people who care about me and a roof over my head where I can be my true self. That’s a big deal.”

Her time living at Luther House has deepened that feeling of belonging. “It’s the little things,” Joan said softly. “Coming home after class and chatting with my roommates, sharing a meal, hearing about their days. It’s a space where I feel entirely comfortable. That is rare for me.” She also finds spiritual meaning in the shared meals. “Communion is such a beautiful reminder that we’re called to sit down and eat together, to share what sustains us, both food and Christ, and that is what we do on Thursdays.”

Today, Joan describes herself as more confident, purposeful, and grounded in her faith. “Having this environment to flourish in,” she reflected, “has translated into every area of my life. As a student, as a professional, as a young woman learning how to be in the world.” She credits The Open Table with giving her both spiritual and emotional security. “It’s a place that inspires me to be the change I want to see,” Joan said, smiling. “I’m confident in the woman I’m becoming, and I’m very excited to meet her.”