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A world where open conversations bridge divides, inspire understanding, and cultivate a compassionate, connected humanity.
To create transformative spaces rooted in the humanities for authentic dialogue and meaningful connections, empowering individuals to embrace diverse perspectives and foster growth within themselves and their communities through education, intentional discussion, meaningful connectivity, and dedicated service.
Connecting hearts, expanding minds, transforming communities.
Originally inspired by the idea that “it takes a village,” The Breaking Bread Village intentionally creates spaces rooted in safety and free from judgment. Our focus is on doing the early work—ensuring that every person feels heard, respected, and valued for their perspective. We commit to listening first, with empathy, love, and care. When people feel unheard or dismissed, love, creativity, and hope can give way to indifference and division. By prioritizing listening and understanding, we lay the groundwork for trust. From that foundation, relationships can form, and bridges may be built—bridges that people can choose to walk across together toward shared goals grounded in peace.
Our outreach work focuses on the first and most essential layer: creating the foundation for respectful, active listening. Before community can form and before connection can grow, people need spaces where they can be heard and understood as humans first. By intentionally building this infrastructure for dialogue, we make room for conversations that allow understanding to develop naturally—without forcing agreement or outcomes.
Traditionally many cultures across the globe attribute something special to sharing a meal. The love and patience involved in the preparation. The joy of entertaining, stimulating conversation with family and friends. Lifelong bonds often develop under such circumstances. This, too, lies at the heart of what we are about and who we are.
TBBV conversations are on YouTube.
If you have a show idea, please reach out to us today.
If you have a show idea, please reach out to us today.
Live Shows host a group of panelists to dive into meaningful conversations on challenging topics and share their perspectives helping us transform as individuals and as a community.
Serving Hope and Breaking Bread is another way we connect to the community on a smaller scale than Live Shows. We spread cheer, education, conversation, connection, support, and light refreshment.
Erin Patrice has years of life experience training, teaching, and facilitating conversations through empathy, strategy, and storytelling. Bring Erin to speak to your group on a specific topic or as a keynote speaker.

The Breaking Bread Village Live Show Experience is an event that brings together panelists from differing perspectives to share conversations around specific topics. The community is invited and encouraged to witness, learn, and actively participate in the dialogue. This experience has been such a success that it’s been sought after by companies, organizations, and schools to create the same experience for their specific needs.
To learn more about bringing this experience to you, please contact us today!
The elements of each live show experience are purposefully curated in line with research that demonstrates that memories and experiences are made through the five senses (sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell). All panelists are gathered around a table, ensuring they can see each other and are close enough to feel a connection. The elegant and tranquil table setting replicates the feeling of a family dinner, initiating a sense of connection and inclusion from the beginning. Before the actual conversation, the show begins with a communal listening experience of live music, allowing organic room for connection.
The Breaking Bread Village Live Show aims to create psychological safety, a space for connection, engagement, and a sense of community. The shared experience at the Table encourages thought, reflection, inner self-work, and humane practices. At the end of the session, the goal is for participants to leave the shared space, understanding that everyone has a story and a mirror. The hope is that with this understanding, the participants will better connect with themselves and others.
The creator and founder, Erin Patrice, believes that “Too often, our differences keep us from connecting. And we view these differences negatively when in actuality if we seek to learn about each other and our differences intentionally and productively, we come to understand that our differences make our community better and enrich our individual lives.”
To create transparent, vulnerable, and open safe spaces for people to share and listen to each other's perspectives in an organic and non-judgemental manner.
Learn more about the data supported benefits of our work.
If people can hear differing thoughts, their minds and hearts will open, hopefully encouraging collective growth in emotional intelligence and intellectual humility. The outcomes will be measured by tracking the number in attendance, audience participants, google survey, and feedback/reviews/reflections.
Explore our archived conversations at other Live Shows on our YouTube channel.
If you like what we're doing with Live Shows or Serving Hope programs you can sponsor events or support in any way that works for you.
We can bring the Live Show to your business, organization, school, or group. Reach out to discuss more!






The Breaking Bread Village was founded on respect, honesty, and the belief that creating space for one another is essential to healthy communities. From the beginning, our work has centered on leading with heart- choosing empathy, courage, and care in every conversation, collaboration, and connection.
We are committed to sowing seeds into our communities by investing in people, relationships, and local small businesses. Whether through shared meals, intentional dialogue, or meaningful partnerships, we believe impact grows when we support what is close to us and nurture what we want to see flourish. Our work is heart-first and people-centered, rooted in the understanding that when we lead with humanity, lasting change can take hold.
The Breaking Bread Village is a humanities-centered nonprofit rooted in the belief that conversation, curiosity, and connection can transform communities. Founded by Erin Patrice, TBBV exists to create bold, welcoming spaces where people from different backgrounds and perspectives can gather, be human together, and engage in meaningful dialogue. We believe everyone deserves a seat at the table- and that when people are met where they are, real change takes root.
In a world shaped by division, assumptions, and surface-level connections, many people are craving deeper understanding and genuine belonging. Too often, conversations stop where curiosity should begin. TBBV exists to slow things down, invite people into shared spaces, and remind communities that empathy is not optional- it’s essential. We exist to foster understanding, spark meaningful connections, and help people engage with one another beyond labels and fear.
We design and facilitate intentional experiences that center dialogue, storytelling, and shared reflection. Through live shows, leadership programming, community conversations, and celebratory education initiatives, we bring people together to explore complex topics with care, courage, and compassion. Our programs are relational, accessible, and rooted in real life- meeting people where they are and inviting them to grow together.
We lead with heart, not ego. Our work is rooted in curiosity rather than judgment, listening instead of reacting, and honoring humanity over ideology. By creating spaces that feel both safe and courageous- structured yet organic- we invite participants to ask better questions, hold space for differing perspectives, and engage in conversations that foster personal and collective growth. Food, storytelling, music, art, and shared experiences are intentionally woven throughout our gatherings because connection happens best when people feel comfortable, cared for, and free to show up as themselves.
The impact of TBBV reaches beyond the room. Participants leave with greater self-awareness, empathy for others, the desire to ask more questions, open themselves up to answers, and a renewed sense of responsibility to their communities. Leaders learn to lead with compassion. Young people learn to value their voices. Communities learn how to talk- and listen- again. Our work plants seeds that continue to grow long after the conversation ends, creating lasting ripples of understanding, connection, and hope.
The Breaking Bread Village is committed to stewarding this work with care, accountability, and long-term vision. Through partnerships, community investment, thoughtful leadership, and responsible growth, we ensure that the conversations we start today continue to serve future generations.















"WOW!!! Can a conversation actually be an event? the answer is YES!! I attended the live Breaking Bread Village event last night and was so impressed! It was a breath of fresh air! People were having tough conversations and actually actively and respectfully listening to each other even if they had opposing or different views. We need more of this in our society especially more now than ever given how divided our country has become.
"You embodied the message beautifully and powerfully. There were different opinions on different hot topics, and you respected every one of them and the speakers themselves; at the same time, you found ways to hold your ground with authenticity and realness. Just a beautiful night in a room filled with beautiful people. Such an honor to be present and watch what you do! Keep doing it some more!"
"Erin is a great conversationalist and possesses the ability to create safe and welcoming spaces for all to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences. This is so important because when we are faced with tough topics the natural tendency is to shut down and not actually listen to what the other person is saying. Creating a safe space for people to share helps tremendously to understand why they feel a certain way. It also provides validation to the speaker that they are respected and heard."
“I'm so happy I was able to be there, it was so great to be in a room of people with so many different opinions and ideas and see how we CAN actually respect each other and listen to each other. Thank you for creating the environment that made it possible. I value hearing other perspectives on topics that I sometimes think I've made my mind up about"
"I keep thinking about the paths, connections, and love that will come from last night. A moment in time that will lead to many moments. And YOU are that catalyst! Woot!"
"My absolute pleasure to be there! You were amazing! You have such an awesome ability to bring folks together and have powerful dialogue. Most peaceful disagreements I've witnessed."
February 19, 2025
By Niky House for the Daily News
June 26, 2022
By Angela Mulka, Staff writer
Updated May 16, 2022, 3:50 p.m.
Voyage Ohio
March 10, 2022
By Midland Daily News
September 20, 2021
By Angela Mulka
August 2, 2021
By Courtney Soule
Thursday, June 25, 2020
SVSU Newsroom
January 12, 2022
By Victoria Ritter, Midland Daily News
Updated on: January 18, 2022
The Breaking Bread Village is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We embrace and encourage all differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make someone unique.
The collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, and unique capabilities represents a significant part of not only our culture but our reputation and the organization's mission as well. The Breaking Bread Village diversity initiatives are applicable—but not limited—to our practices and policies on selection; compensation and training; and the ongoing development of an environment built on the premise of gender and diversity equity that encourages and enforces respectful communication and cooperation between all. All employees, interns, and volunteers of The Breaking Bread Village have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect at all times. All are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work and volunteerism, at events where they represent The Breaking Bread Village, and at all other sponsored and participative events of The Breaking Bread Village.
Our principles rooted in the humanities enable us to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, build a community that reflects the diverse individuals, companies, and organizations we serve, infuse these principles into all areas of our efforts to drive innovation and growth, and transform systems to achieve equitable access and outcomes for all.
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