Gather is a Deaf community center offering interpreted workshops, ASL classes, legal advocacy, and social events — in a converted civic building with tall windows and a welcome desk that signs back.
Illustration depicts our lobby — a child signing “friend,” our interpreter at the welcome desk, and the community bulletin board.
Members served annually
Deaf adults, youth & families
Interpreted events per year
Every event, no exceptions
Open captioned video content
Captions always on, never optional
Interpreter request service
For first-time visitors
Twelve performers. Two hours. A room that went completely silent except for the movement of hands. Open captions ran on the back wall for newcomers. Three people signed up for their first ASL class the next morning.
“I've been to poetry events my whole life. This was the first one I understood completely.”
Every event at Gather is fully interpreted. No need to call ahead. No forms to fill out. Just show up.
10:00 AM · Beginners welcome. Learn 50 core signs in a friendly, no-pressure setting.
2:00 PM · Free consultation with a Deaf-fluent housing attorney. No appointment needed.
6:30 PM · Open captions on screen. Popcorn provided. All ages welcome.
11:00 AM · Designed for hearing parents with newly diagnosed children. Bring your toddler.
Full Transcript
[Renata, speaking to camera] I had no idea where to start. The playgroup leader — she signed everything and spoke at the same time, so I could follow along while my daughter was watching. That first day, Maya turned to me and signed 'more.' Just 'more.' I knew we were in the right place.
“My daughter signed her first sentence at Saturday playgroup. I cried the whole drive home. We had been looking for a place like this for three years.”
Full Transcript
[Darius, signing with voice interpreter] The attorney at the clinic — she's Deaf herself. We talked directly. No lag, no miscommunication. She found three clauses in my lease that were technically illegal. I would have signed it without her.
“I came in for the housing clinic and left with a lease I actually understood. First time I've navigated a legal process without having to bring my own interpreter.”
Our youth programs meet teenagers where they are — not where adults think they should be. Saturday ASL Club runs year-round. Youth advocacy workshops cover self-advocacy, college access, and navigating a hearing world on your own terms. The spring social last year had a Deaf DJ. The dance floor was packed.
“I've been Deaf my whole life and this is the first school-age program that didn't make me feel like a problem to solve.”
Tell us a little about yourself and we'll send you the next two or three events that fit. No commitment. No application. Just an RSVP.
Gather opened in 2019 in a former public library branch. We kept the reading room, the high ceilings, and the sense that this building belongs to the neighborhood. We added an ASL-first welcome desk, a full event calendar, and a legal aid clinic that runs every other Thursday.
The people who walk through the doors are Deaf adults navigating housing applications without interpreters, hearing parents of newly diagnosed toddlers searching for their first sign language class, and teenagers who need a homecoming court that signs back. Everyone finds their seat here.
Location
412 Civic Center Dr
Open Mon–Sat, 9am–8pm
Contact
hello@gathercenter.org
VP: (503) 555-0192
Accessibility
All events ASL interpreted
Open captions always on