Community Development in Action!
“I find the GFL has a strong sense of community and it was kind of easy to get here and look around and see little things I could do to make other people want to live here too”
“For me, the toughest part I think was starting ... getting all the ideas and the people together was the most difficult part”
For our February Community Gathering we brought together some inspiring Calgarians to speak about community projects they’ve undertaken in recent months. The Roundtable is part of a storytelling initiative that CDLI, in partnership with the City of Calgary Neighbourhoods and the Community Hubs Initiative undertook last summer/Fall.
The Community Development in Action Roundtable included special guests Karen Begg, an active community-builder in Dover, and Roxana Arce-Rivera, a volunteer in Marlborough. Note that Prudence Iticka of Black People United unfortunately had something important come up last minute, so we will be looking for an opportunity soon to connect with her again!
In addition to our roundtable exploring Karen and Roxana’s experiences with community building, we also heard from Jessica Pauletig and Darren SIlva from the City of Calgary’s Neighbourhoods team. They shared more information about the City’s Neighbourhood Grants program!
View the community development in action roundtable and the neighbourhood grants presentation in the video below!
ROUNDTABLE MEMBER BIOS:
Karen Begg
Karen Begg is an active Dover resident who has initiated a number of community-based projects to animate the community. Karen is an artist by profession and all her works in the community too imbibe with that artistic touch! She has 5 artworks along the 17 BRT Max Purple line.
Some of her notable contributions to the community are; organising Jane's Walk, Supporting Resident Plex Free Pantry in Dover, Stewards Free Little Library, supporting anti-graffiti initiatives, supporting City's Neighbourhood Grants Committee and supporting the beautification of Community Garden.
Her recent project involving seniors in Dover to support their mental health and well-being during Covid-19 has been widely recognised and acknowledged. By helping seniors to create beautiful and meaningful pieces of art, this project not only supported their emotional wellness but also helped them to give expression to their creative side. Furthermore, the artworks created by the seniors have been well-used to decorate the community garden bringing positive vibes of hope and cheer to the community.
Roxana Arce-Rivera and has lived in Marlborough all of her life. She began volunteering because she felt that she could do something to create change in her community. She like video editing and helping others learn. It is important to help others learn, whether it be math, or equality, and she hope to make a difference too. Catch Roxana on Tiktok @FightTheStereotype.