At A Place in the Conversation, we believe the deepest change happens through shared experience. In our latest episode, we sat down with Cat Stenta, Director of Community Engagement at Kennett Library, to talk about what it really means to belong and how each of us can help others feel seen.
Cat is the kind of person who builds community without even realizing it. Whether she’s pulling together neighbors for a Halloween parade, coaching an over 35 women’s lacrosse team, or creating safe spaces for people walking through divorce, she shows up with quiet consistency and a heart wide open.
“I never want people to feel alone,” Cat says. And she lives that.
The Everyday Sacred: Smiles, Stairs, and Support
One of the most powerful moments in the episode comes when Cat reflects on her time at the library’s front desk. She shares how even the smallest gestures, a smile or a warm greeting, can make a lasting impact. “You might be the only person who welcomed that person in for weeks,” she says.
That resonated deeply with us. It echoes the spirit of Romans 12:13: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Cat’s love for people is woven through every story she tells. From running into neighbors at the YMCA stair stepper to helping organize the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, she brings people together around shared values and simple joys.
Joy Counts Too
Her lacrosse league wasn’t just about sports. It became a joy-filled refuge for women juggling families, work, and everything in between. “We were terrible,” Cat laughs. “But we were laughing together. We were playing.”
Joy matters. Play matters. And finding a space where you’re not just someone’s mom, employee, or neighbor, but a whole person, can be life-giving.
When Life Falls Apart, Community Holds
Cat also opened up about her recent divorce and the unexpected community that formed when she simply posted online about it. Women reached out. They needed someone who understood. A quiet, confidential support group was born. Not as a therapy session, but as a place to breathe and be real.
It reminded us of Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Starting Something New? Just Try It
If you’ve ever felt nudged to create a group, start a gathering, or rally neighbors for something meaningful but didn’t know where to begin, Cat gets it. Her advice:
Start messy. Ask around. Post the idea. If you’re local, use the library’s program proposal form. There are people out there waiting for someone to go first.
“If you have the idea, there’s definitely 3, 4, or 60 more people who want to be involved,” she says.
We think that’s true. And if you’re looking for a sign to start something small and sacred, this might be it.
Listen Now
From environmental advocacy to front porch connections, this episode will remind you that you can be a place where someone belongs.
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