Neighbour Day at The Cridge Centre for the Family

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By Candace Stretch

On May 7th, many of us who live and work in Cridge housing, gathered to celebrate Neighbour Day. Neighbour Day is a Community Action Project of Leadership Victoria which encourages folks to “meet and greet the people with whom we share our neighbourhood, fences, and walls.” What a wonderful opportunity for us to help our tenants across Cridge programs connect with each other!

At Mary Cridge Manor, the Brain Injury Program and the Cridge Dovetail Program joined forces to host a BBQ for the tenants from both programs. They also invited nearby neighbours to enjoy the festivities. There was a lovely neighbourly atmosphere as tenants enjoyed hot dogs and conversation. We are so proud of the unique community we have created at MCM and Neighbour Day was such a fitting way to celebrate that!

At Hayward Heights, the Dovetail staff joined forces with the Seniors Recreation staff to host a party for Supportive Transitional Housing tenants and Cridge Seniors Village residents. It was a fantastic event! A huge turn-out of seniors, tenants and kids came to enjoy donuts & coffee on the sunny back patio. There was beautiful music, courtesy of the fabulous Victoria Mandolin Orchestra, and tons of fun games and activities for folks of all ages. Even though our tenants live right alongside our seniors, many have not had the opportunity to reach out and get to know each other. It was so special to be able to host an event that fostered these connections- there was a buzz about the event that was truly unique.
Alison, one of the Seniors Recreation staff, shared her observations of the afternoon’s festivities: “‘I only live a few steps away’ was something I heard frequently. It was such a neat feeling of shared space! The seniors have said it was an ‘absolutely great afternoon’, ‘fun’, ‘neat to meet everyone.’ A set of kid sisters that had to go home early said, they ‘wish they could come again next time’. It was truly a heartwarming afternoon.”

Indeed, it was a very special Neighbour Day at The Cridge Centre for the Family. This is a tradition that we would like to continue each year. We are so thankful to the Leadership Victoria team for inviting us to participate in this wonderful initiative!