“What a pleasure it is to watch them all together sitting and watching the movie. It’s quite a little community and [we’re] starting to become really close with the kids. It’s fun to watch,” William said.

“We have one little boy who says, can I help you unload those groceries? Some little guys run up saying, can we call you grandma and grandpa?” Lynn says.

Through these movie nights, the neighbourhood youth are starting to understand not only what they get from community but also what they need to give to nurture it.

“Respect of private property around here is the one thing that they need to learn. So, if you teach them that, start to explain it to them, start to show them and not ignore [them] and think, ‘oh, well, they’re just kids.’ Get them involved,” Lynn states.

Lynn and William can see their community care blossoming now. Teenagers are starting to teach the younger kids how to conduct themselves during movie nights and the impact is beginning to extend beyond those special nights. The youth in the community are starting to extend that lesson of respect to the rest of their lives.

Lynn and William say they are seeing it firsthand. There is less conflict in the community because everyone connects at these movie nights.

“Our front yard is your front yard,” William says.

William can’t leave the house without the children saying hello from their windows. 

Their generosity in hosting these nights has built a reputation beyond Calgary Housing. When they went shopping for food for their last movie night, the local grocery manager not only knew that they hosted these movie nights but also offered a full box of hot dogs for free.

But the couple doesn’t want recognition for what they do, they just want to create a community where everyone can belong.

“We don’t want the praise. We do it because the kids need it,” William says.