Stitching community together through consistent moments of connection

While snow swirled and a cold wind howled outside the four towers of a Calgary Housing residence, warmth filled the community room in one of the buildings. In the kitchen, women bustled about making tea and chatting in different languages, while the steady hum of sewing machines stitched the room together with a quiet purpose. 

The residents here have managed to create a community that spans the four buildings. It’s that community that is present in events like these, where women pop in for tea and conversation and their children play with the toys and chase each other around. 

“All the parents know the kids, they know who is who,” says a resident we’ll call Luz.

Not everyone speaks the same language, but they find ways to connect with each other. Anyone can drop into this repair café to have their clothes mended. There are posters around the building informing residents of this event, it happens on Fridays almost every week.

Even with the success of the Friday gatherings, more is needed to ensure the community stays connected. What really keeps the community alive is a WhatsApp group chat. A few residents started it years ago, and now it has grown to a group of over 100 families. 

“Neighbours pass the word around,” says Luz.

Every time a new family moves into one of the buildings, they are welcomed to the group chat. Repair cafés are shared on the group chat.

“Everyone is so active in [the group chat]. People ask for things, or things they need help with,” Luz says.

It hasn’t just been repair cafés. There have been English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and cooking classes, as well as sewing and crochet gatherings.

Even more than the events, the community care and the connections grow in how neighbours show up for each other.

Luz describes a time when a neighbour helped her with childcare after her husband was in a car accident and she needed to tend to him. 

She also talks about how, when she was pregnant with her second child and went into labour, she was able to leave her first child with her neighbour Carol. Even more help – Carol lent Luz an accessibility scooter to make it easier to get to the car downstairs.

The simple ability to reach out to a neighbour and find help and support has an immense impact.

Community care shows up in moments like these. Community is built every week at the repair café, the ESL classes, the knitting club, and events like the Calgary Housing hosted holiday parties and other gatherings.

“What I personally feel living in this community is connected. Connected to my neighbours and supported as well,” Luz said.

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