Renée Amber, Director of Social Events at CHCA
A call to all members of Capitol Hill Community to contribute to a gallery of social connection!
Please use #capitolhillrocks to see your posts on our social media platforms as we build a space on the web for our community to virtually meet up, share and cultivate a sense of community and social strength during this current state of emergency.
Join our FB Group “Capitol Hill Social Events (YYC)” for a break from the news, and a place to connect to the people near you.
Follow us on Instagram and participate in the scavenger hunt while you go walk around the neighbourhood. Stay tuned for more initiatives by community members to support each other as we move forward
In a great storm the wise bird returns to her nest and waits patiently.
-I Ching (Brian Browne Walker Translation)
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent state of emergency we find ourselves in is an unprecedented experience for our community and our era, and as we are being called upon to physically isolate in the midst of crisis, the strain can be great.
All of the (physical) social connections we may have taken for granted have suddenly stopped for the foreseeable future. This presents a unique challenge for a community association whose purpose is to cultivate connection the old fashioned way - in person at events and gatherings.
There is no shortage of entertainment and opportunity for virtual connection on the internet, which feels like a lifeline at the moment. Still, I believe there is no substitute for knowing that we are surrounded by a caring community, even if we can’t go out and interact with it. Whether we live with young children who are looking to us for guidance, with vulnerable members of our community for whom we feel protective and concerned, or living alone, and unsure of how to reach out, we all need to know that we are an important part of the fabric of this community.
To do our part in reinforcing this knowledge and to redirect our efforts to cultivate a sense of community, we at CHCA would like to invite you and your loved ones (including kids!) to contribute pictures, words and short videos of positive community experiences during this challenging time of social distancing.
Arts and crafts that you or your kids make to pass the time, poems, pictures of nature, recipes, etc, all family friendly, are welcome. We hope to capture some of the positive experiences that emerge from this, and to get to know our community and it’s people (and pets) in a way that we would not otherwise have had the opportunity to.
You can also add pictures of the wonderful scavenger hunts planned for our solo walks around the Capitol Hill. If you add hashtags: #capitolhillrocks and/or #capitolhillsocial to your posts, our dedicated Communications Director Maria will magically be able to compile them into a gallery on our website.
Think of it as building a tapestry that is as unique as all the people in Capitol Hill. This is a small step toward making a connection. If this situation persists, we as a community might want to consider ways of connecting live on the internet. If there is an appetite for that we would be happy to hear from you!
You can also join the private Facebook Group “Capitol Hill Social Events (YYC)” to connect with us, look for us on Instagram (@citizensofcapitolhill), and visit our FB Page (@CapitolHillCommunity). Above all, we want to stay socially connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of course we ask that any content you post be kind and respectful of other people’s privacy. We will continue making updates regarding health, safety or volunteering opportunities related to the COVID-19 situation on our website & FB Page.