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Community group offers Gates County 'chat bench' concept and $2,000 seed gift for mental wellness pilot
Summary
Gates County Community Partnership proposed placing a designated "chat bench" at the community center playground to encourage conversations and reduce social isolation; the group said it has a $2,000 donation from the Overseas Healthcare Foundation to seed a pilot.
Sandra Jordan Branch, a board member of Gates County Community Partnership, presented a proposal at the Dec. 2 meeting asking the board to consider a "community chat bench" pilot to promote informal conversations and mental-health awareness.
Branch said the Partnership received a $2,000 donation from the Overseas Healthcare Foundation earmarked for mental-wellness activities and proposed placing a marked bench by the community center playground as the pilot site. She said the Chat Bench initiative seeks to provide accessible, inclusive spaces where neighbors are encouraged to sit and talk to reduce social isolation and generate local referrals to services where needed.
Branch said the group was not seeking an immediate decision from the commissioners but wanted to present the concept and supply copies of its proposal. Commissioners thanked the presenter and said staff would review the request and advise whether any formal approvals, liability considerations, site permissions or maintenance arrangements were required before a bench could be installed.
The board did not take formal action on the request at the meeting.
