Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsey Carter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsey, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

When I was a teen attending college for the first time, I really struggled to fit in and make friends. At the time I had undiagnosed depression and anxiety, and it caused me to retreat into myself, and not be outgoing enough to make good connections. My first-year literature professor noticed me retreating more and more as the first semester wore on, and assigned a project to the class to complete a “day in the life” journal, to discuss what our daily lives were like. In it, I wrote out how I was feeling – the stress, the sadness, the deep-seated loneliness, and when that professor read it, they sent me an email and asked to see me during their office hours. I went, thinking I was in trouble or had done something wrong, and this professor told me in the kindest way possible that they understood how I had been feeling, and that it was deeply human, but might indicate depression and anxiety, and handed me a number to a counselor they knew that did pro-bono work for students. They didn’t have to do that for me, in fact, they didn’t even have to read the assignment. But they made me feel like my feelings were real, and that they deserved to be heard. That one small act of kindness got me the help that I needed, and a name for what was happening in my head. I can say with certainty that that small act of kindness, of paying attention to their student saved my life.

Lindsey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started working with Meeple-a-thon in 2021, the first year that the convention was held after the 2020 pandemic. When I joined the team, I had joined due to a request for a social media coordinator, and as time went on I fell in love with Meeple-a-thon’s mission to support Hillcrest Platte County’s Youth Housing Program. The youth housing program provides housing, food, hygiene items, necessities and life skills classes to individuals experiencing homelessness between the ages of 18-24 along with their dependents. As someone who has experienced houselessness, this cause is near and dear to my heart as it provides a hand up for those aging out of foster care or are escaping abuse.

By hosting a gaming event in Kansas City, we are proud to unite all of Kansas City’s gaming community and even the international community in the fight against homelessness. Providing resources like these allows the youth of our city to have a new beginning, and a hand up out of the cycle of poverty.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Our reputation within our market has grown exponentially over the last two years by utilizing skills that are underrated in this day and age – passion, joy, and empathy. We started by reaching out to every local gaming shop and sharing our mission to help those experiencing homelessness. This came with a healthy dose of empathy – reminding people that at any given time, your average American is only two missed paychecks or two rough months away from being homeless themselves. As we humanized the population we support, the city gave back in spades. Over time, and hosting our convention, we treated our participants, vendors, donators and exhibitors with respect, kindness and small gestures to show how much we appreciate them being a part of our event, and that combined with the joy and passion we find in our mission made our convention one for the books, and keeps every participant coming back each year.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2022, our convention was planned and held by a team of 7 volunteers, and managed by two of those 7, myself and David Seim. This year for 2023, we’ve experienced a lot of pivoting, as our team is now down to 4 volunteers, due to life changes and planning conflicts. With our team being down quite a few members we’ve had to pivot our team to cover the wide variety of topics that our convention covers, with our team members taking on quite a few new duties and branching out to make sure things get done. We’ve also been searching for a brand new venue, as our former venue has been sold to a new owner. As we search for a new home for our event, and new members for our team, it’s taken perseverance, flexibility and teamwork to make everything happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: meepleathon.com
• Instagram: meeple_a_thon
• Facebook: @wethemeeple
• Twitter: @MeepleThon

Image Credits
Lana Albright, Julie Currier