Erie leaders and residents came together Sunday night for a community town hall focused on current issues and the future of the city.

Attendees gathered at the 1020 Collective for the second annual Intersectionality Town Hall and Community Gathering on Sunday. The public forum featured 16 panelists, including elected officials, educators, advocates, and business leaders from across the Erie community.

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“There’s so many people affiliated and associated with so many different great organizations that the goal is to see people just build relationships that are progressive and that can create solutions that are gonna push and take Erie forward,” said Deonte Cooley, a co-host of the event.

“Having meetings like this is super important just for the collaborative effort of the city, because especially for my job, a lot of it takes the community to support it, and me supporting the community at the same time, so it just works hand in hand,” said Ash Jones, community office manager for Erie Bank.

Speakers sat center stage, surrounded by the audience, creating what organizers hoped would feel more like a community conversation than a lecture. Organizers said the event was designed to create direct conversations around mental health, housing, civic engagement, and the future of Erie.

“I’ve been living in Erie my entire life, and there was a point in time where Erie, it was like a village mentality around here, and I see it kind of going away, and I want to bring that back because I believe that our biggest resources are the citizens who live here,” said Cooley.

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“I hope a lot of connections are made, in my job, what I do is talk to people and try to give them as much information as I can,” said Jones. “Everybody in this room is looking to help, and I’m just hoping somebody gets helped today.”

Community leaders said the goal was to bridge gaps between residents and decision-makers while encouraging more civic participation across Erie.

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