Perkins Plunge 2026

Aug 25

On a gorgeous day in August before classes started, our 8 Perkins Fellows gathered to share their personal stories as well as listen to the stories of our city. Founded ten years ago, the Perkins Fellows program holds a unique place: to try to live out Jesus’ call to love our Charlottesville neighbors as ourselves. We are inspired and motivated by the vision of John & Vera Mae Perkins who distilled their work in Christian community development down to the 3 R’s:

Relocation - To move to be near the people you are serving. Bryan Stevenson’s championing of Proximity fits in well here, as does the theological concept of the Incarnation.
Reconciliation - To reconcile people to God and neighbor as the Greatest Commandment teaches us.
Redistribution - To love people by tending to their physical needs through practicing justice & mercy.

I developed our own set of practices centered on LOVE called the 3 L’s:

Listen & Learn the stories and histories of our city collectively and our neighbors individually. This involves a lot of question-asking; Jesus & his disciples were always asking questions!
Laugh - We don’t take ourselves too seriously. Humility is key.
Lean In for the Long Haul- We hope to model to the university community the importance of leaning into proximity of our C’ville neighbors and serving the work of sustaining justice, even when uncomfortable or inconvenient.

The Perkins Plunge is our kickoff event- meant to immerse the Fellows in the Charlottesville community and introduce them to one another and the non-profits where their co-fellows will be serving. It is a long day with lots of logistics, travel, and moving pieces, but each year it proves invaluable as the catalyst for that “diving in” feeling of excitement as we begin.

We began with iced lattes at the Kindness Café - one of our dear partners who employ adults with cognitive disabilities through their coffee shop - with each Fellow sharing their personal stories of WHY they’re a Perkins Fellow. What experiences in their past led them to connect their faith with a passion for social justice? We then went to Bread & Roses - an urban garden and food justice initiative of Trinity Episcopal Church, the first Black Episcopal Church in the area founded in 1919. Next up was Virginia Book Arts, home to the largest collection of letterpress in the mid-Atlantic. Lyall Harris, artist & printmaker, led us through the process of printing a letterpress card with the John Perkins phrase: “Love is the final fight.” What a radical way to spend an hour with Gen Z students by offering them a completely slow, analog tech experience!

We then walked over to 4th street and paused at the Heather Heyer Memorial, named after the young woman tragically killed by a white supremacist on Aug 12, 2017. I talked with the Fellows about the importance of asking the question that Civil Rights activist Ruby Sales asks: “Where does it hurt?” Knowing & seeing peoples’ pain is essential. John Perkins talks about learning peoples’ FELT NEEDS. Yet, we also must acknowledge their strength and beauty. We discussed the evolution of asset-based community development in the 80’s and 90’s (pioneered by John McKnight and Jody Kretzmann out of Chicago) as it tried to balance the overly need-focused community development efforts from preceding decades. This is a continuous tension and paradox that is the beginning of wisdom for our Fellows: to hold both the pains and the strengths together.

Next up was The Haven, a low-barrier day shelter for the homeless where we unpacked myths around those struggling to find a home and recent statistics and developments around affordable housing in Charlottesville including the termination of the Rivanna Homeless Encampment on September 1st.

After a hearty lunch at Marco & Luca Dumplings, we ended our long day sitting with the program staff of Abundant Life Ministries (CALM), long-time friends and partners who for 30 years have been loving on the Prospect neighborhood through all sorts of creative youth and family holistic care.

I’m so honored to walk alongside these faithful community partners and inspiring students who are teaching us so much about what it means to love our neighbors while strengthening ties between the University and our surrounding community.