By Pepper Parr
June 6th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Two events sharing the main floor of city hall last night was a first I think.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns decided a number of months ago that people needed to know more about the services that were available to people who needed help and the people who were in place to help people needed to know how the public saw the service they were providing, to a large degree on a volunteer basis.
Kearns had taken part in Safety Forum and decided the format that event used could work for a Community Cares Forum.
There were tables spread all over city hall with people asking questions and staff and volunteers answering.
Sixteen organizations, some volunteer, some commercial, some Not for Profit took part in a Community Forum that was well attended.
There was some risk. Kearns had to reach out to the numerous organizations that provide services that run the gamut from how we feed people, how we care for people with various accessibility or mental health needs.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns doing an interview during a Community Cares Forum that went very well.
Woodview supports families with autistic children.
There are students that need help getting through school when the household income just doesn’t cover the expense?
Resident listening to the work that Goodwill does in the community.
Food4Life staff member listening carefully to a citizen. Food4Life is a Not for Profit organization that collects food and delivers it to thousand in the Region.
There are people in hospital about to be released and need help getting home.
There are households that cannot afford the food the family needs. That food has to be found and then delivered – not a small task.
Kearns and her administrative assistant knew how to use social media. The used every platform they could find.
Would it work? Would it all come together? It did.
