The Connect 757

Santa Looks Like Me! Holiday Photo and Community Toy Drive

Free Event with Donated Toy

2nd Annual Santa Looks Like Me! – Photos with Santa and Community Toy Drive Hosted by The Connect 757 and Mickey Wright Real Estate!

Come join us for the 2nd Annual Santa Looks Like Me! event on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 11:00 AM (Eastern Standard Time). It’s time to celebrate the holiday season with a fun-filled day for the whole family!

Bring your little ones to meet Santa Claus himself and capture that magical moment with photos with Santa. Our professional photographers will be on hand to capture the joy and excitement on your child’s face as they share their Christmas wish list with Santa.

But that’s not all! We’re also hosting a Community Toy Drive. Although the event is free, we ask that you help spread the holiday cheer by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to donate. Let’s ensure every child in our community has a special gift to open on Christmas morning.

There will be festive activities to enjoy, including holiday crafts and cookies. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories and give back to our community. Mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual Santa Looks Like Me! event. We can’t wait to see you there!

Volunteers & Sponsors Needed! Volunteers can sign up through the Eventbrite. Sponsors can email theconnect757@gmail.com if interested.

Flannels & Flapjacks Holiday Game Night

Ticketed Event

The Flannels and Flapjacks Holiday Game Night is a fun-filled event that you don’t want to miss! Join us on Thirsday Dec 14, 2023 at 400 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510 for an evening of holiday-inspired minute-to-win it games, your favorite board games and delicious late-night brunch options.

Put on your comfiest flannel shirt or pajamas and get ready to enjoy a variety of exciting games with friends. From classic board games to interactive group challenges, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

As you immerse yourself in the holiday spirit, indulge in mouthwatering flapjacks served fresh and piping hot. Whether you prefer them plain or topped with your favorite syrup, these pancakes are sure to satisfy your taste buds in addition to the rest of the holiday-inspired spread.

Don’t miss this opportunity to have a blast and make lasting memories. Mark your calendars and join us at The Connect 757’s Flannels and Flapjacks Holiday Game Night for an unforgettable evening of laughter, friendly competition, and delicious treats.

We’re also collecting unwrapped toys for our Santa Looks Like Me! Holiday Photos & Community Toy Drive on December 16th. All toys will be donated to the YWCA of South Hampton Roads and StandUp for Kids – Hampton Roads Chapter.

Tickets available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/711751436707?aff=oddtdtcreator

Melanin Reads Holiday Meeting

Hybrid Event

We are excited to dive into Walking in My Joy: In These Streets by Jenifer Lewis.

Our Holiday Meeting will be a hybrid meeting to close out the year at Assembly in Downtown Norfolk. We are asking for each attendee to wear a holiday sweater and bring a snack to share. For those joining us online, please wear your holiday sweater and bring a snack to also enjoy online. Melanin Reads Book Club is an extension of The Connect 757 and meets monthly to support black and brown authors. Members are welcome to read traditional hardcover or stream the audio version.

Walking in My Joy: In These Streets is available on Amazon.

We welcome you to also join our private Facebook group, “Melanin Reads Book Club” HERE.

More about the book below!

In this entertaining essay collection, the inimitable Jenifer Lewis looks back on some of her memorable adventures and experiences, using them as a mirror to reflect modern life and what is happening today. Her stories will have you laughing out loud, while her insightful messages will touch your soul.

This self-described “traveling fool and nature freak” takes us on her incredible journeys around the world, from Cape Town to Dubrovnik, the White House to the Serengeti, Mongolia to St. Petersburg, Argentina to Antarctica. Surprising and entertaining, her wildly diverse experiences reveal, that no matter where she is or what she faces, Jenifer walks in her joy, confident in herself and her purpose—whether it’s an unforgettable confrontation with a Trump supporter on a slow boat to Singapore; an alien visitation; enduring Covid-19 and a friend’s suicide attempt; taking down a conman; meeting a handsome Masai warrior and being chased by a cape buffalo. Jenifer also offers deep personal reflections on the repercussions of sexual violation; the murder of George Floyd and the racial reckoning in its wake.

Jenifer shares the importance of fully living to our greatest ambitions and taking time to admire the universe’s natural gifts along the way; to be present in the moment, and reject being a victim of circumstance. She offers advice on self-love and how to protect ourselves from those determined to steal our joy. In this collection, Jenifer urges us to feel it all, live it out loud, and keep it moving. Basically, do your best and leave the rest.

The Connect 757’s Coffee CONNECTion Supports Black Business While Bringing Black Professionals Together

If you are looking to connect with other entrepreneurs and professionals, join The Connect 757 for their monthly morning networking meetup, The Coffee CONNECTion.

For the next 6 months, entrepreneurs and Black Professionals can connect every third Wednesday of the month from 9am-11am at WeCare JuiceBar located in Virginia Beach’s Timberlake Shopping Center. WeCare Juice Bar is a black and woman owned business that focuses on serving cold pressed juices, coffee bar, smoothies, and healthy prepared food options.

Professionals interested in connecting will be able to network, learn more about The Connect 757, and support a local black owned business.

The Connect 757 currently has all of the dates listed for The Coffee CONNECTion X WeCare Juice Bar for February to July on Eventbrite.

You can register in advance, for free. Registration is open on Eventbrite.

For more information on The Connect 757, check out http://www.theconnect757.com or email your questions to theconnect757@gmail.com.

February Events Jumpstart the Calendar Year for The Connect 757!

For many, their year begins in January, but for The Connect 757, we slowed down, used the month of January to build and organize to prepare for the year. We wanted to go into 2023 with new events, fresh ideas, and more intentional opportunities to connect!

So what can you expect in 2023? Well, we have simplified our membership structure from a monthly investment to a one time annual investment. We have added our first conference, singles events, themed dinner parties, couples events, and an additional Regional Speed Networking event for the spring. Our board has grown from 9 to 13 members and we are excited to connect our community of Black Professionals across the 757.

For the month of February, here is what you can expect!