By Marina McAlpine
In the wake of hateful incidents that shook the town, a community-led movement in Wayland has grown into a nonprofit dedicated to connection, belonging and action. The Wayland Community Action Network, also known as WaylandCAN, was founded in 2023 after a series of antisemitic hate crimes and graffiti incidents, which included hateful symbols painted on the side of the town pool house.
For longtime resident Caroline Higgins, the events were a turning point.
“I had lived in Wayland for more than a decade and kept thinking, ‘This isn’t who we are’,” she said. “But clearly it was happening here. It felt important not to just sit there and do nothing.”
Within 24 hours of Higgins sending an email to friends calling for a community conversation, nearly 80 residents gathered in a local elementary school cafeteria. What began as a single meeting quickly blossomed into a network of action-oriented neighbors committed to dialogue and change.
Over the next year and a half, the group hosted educational programs, rallies and listening sessions before officially applying for nonprofit status. Last spring, WaylandCAN received its 501(c)(3) designation as a tax-exempt nonprofit.
For co-director Alison Kates, the mission is personal. She reached out to Higgins after attending that first meeting. “I’m Jewish,” she said. “The antisemitic incidents really bothered me. I didn’t know Caroline before, but I heard she was organizing something and I wanted to help.”
What started as a response to antisemitism has since evolved into a broader mission: to create a deeper sense of belonging for everyone in Wayland, regardless of background or identity. The group’s tagline “Be the Change” reflects its emphasis on turning conversation into action.
Becoming more proactive
In its early days, WaylandCAN was largely reactive, hosting events in response to specific incidents. Today, leaders say the organization has become more proactive, focusing on building community before harm occurs.
One example grew out of a community-wide conversation held in November 2024. During the event, a resident admitted they knew little about the local mosque despite living in town for years. That comment sparked members of Wayland Muslim Neighbors to organize an interfaith iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan, and invite the broader community. The inaugural event, held last March, brought residents together to learn and share traditions. This year’s iftar will be on March 10.
“That’s exactly what we hope these conversations will do,” Higgins said. “Inspire action.”
More recently, WaylandCAN hosted its first gala fundraiser in December 2025. Rather than a traditional, formal affair where guests stick to familiar circles, organizers built in a structured “connection activity,” asking attendees to share childhood holiday memories in small groups. The result, they said, was a room full of cross-generational conversations, and not a single person standing alone.
The organization is also working with a local artist to transform the frequently vandalized town pool wall into a mural of hope, reclaiming the space with a message of unity. In another visible gesture, members spent hours placing cups in a dugout at a local baseball field to spell out “Be the Change,” a small act that one resident later said made her reconsider leaving town after feeling unsafe.
Upcoming events continue the theme of dialogue across differences. On March 8, WaylandCAN will partner with Mosaic to host an interfaith spring holiday potluck, highlighting Easter, Passover, Ramadan and other observances. On March 30, the group will welcome author and podcaster Dylan Marron to the Wayland High School auditorium for a talk on empathy and dialogue inspired by his podcast, “Conversations with People Who Hate Me.”
WaylandCAN is led by a board that includes Higgins and Kates as co-directors. Chris Ryan serves as treasurer and Christine Kenyon serves as secretary. Other board members are Karen Kelly, Elizabeth Wuerz, Doug Levine, and Robin Jones.
WaylandCAN also hopes to launch a student chapter at the high school, empowering young people to lead conversations about belonging among their peers. If residents remember one thing about the organization, board members say they hope it’s this: WaylandCAN is for everyone.
“We’re striving to represent the whole community,” Kates said. “We want every resident to feel welcome and connected.”
And meaningful change often starts small, Higgins noted. “There are a lot of good people willing to work hard,” she said. “Sometimes you just have to be brave enough to say, ‘Come join me. Let’s do this’.”
