“You Could Feel the Warmth!” Studying New Guidance in Springdale, Brampton
The team in Springdale, Brampton came together the day the December 30th message from the Universal House of Justice was shared. One friend serving in the neighbourhood describes their experience: “I’ve seen the strengthening connection between the team of tutors here and the House of Justice. There isn’t a hesitancy to come together to study […]
A Vibrant Festival in the Victoria Hills Neighbourhood Kick-starts Fall Activities
Written by Maryam Ahrari, Emily Glabush & Núr Elmasri Summer has come and gone in a flurry, and we are not only reflecting on our learnings but sustaining a trail of neighbourhood activities which have continued into the fall here in Victoria Hills, Kitchener. One event that contributed greatly to the energy and spirit of […]
Having Conversations with Families in Bayview Mews
A group of families living in the Bayview Mews neighbourhood of Toronto, near Sheppard and Bayview, have been learning for the last 6 years about working with families. In that time, they have begun a children’s class which is now on the precipice of having four concurrent grade levels. For several years, the team has […]
Fostering True and Lasting Friendships in Kipps Lane
Written by Carmelia Taheri & Emma Persaud Stepping into London’s Kipps Lane neighbourhood in the evenings, any onlooker can see youth coaching volleyball, children running around in the park accompanied by their parents, and junior youth playing basketball with their animators. With approximately 30 thousand inhabitants, it’s a lively and vibrant community. The first community-building […]
“I joined because you knocked on my door!” Reflections on Youth Service
Mena and Jonaya are both 17 and have been serving in the Chester Le pocket in the Upper Don Mills neighbourhood of Toronto for the past six years. They shared the following reflections on their service this summer, the conversations it has led to in their respective families, the way their understanding of their neighbourhood […]
A team of Four Arises to Serve Full Time in Sudbury
Amidst the rising energy across Ontario at the outset of this one year plan, a team of collaborators in Sudbury, the reservoir cluster for the vast subregion of northern Ontario, have arisen to offer a dedicated period of service over the coming year. Each of these souls thoughtfully considered the needs for growth, what it […]
Service Week in St. James Town
In the fall of 2020, the team in Toronto’s densely-populated neighbourhood of St. James Town was thinking about how their efforts to draw new youth into the community-building process could continue. Winter was looming, and restrictions around the pandemic were likely to increase. They were conscious of the need to weave together a pattern of […]
Touching the Hearts Through Service and Artmaking in Ruddington
The Ruddington Drive neighbourhood is comprised of seven apartment buildings with a population of about 3,200 people in the North West of Toronto. Newcomers from China, Iran, Hong Kong and South Korea make up close to 60% of the population and almost 30% of the population are young people. Since 2014, the expanding nucleus of […]