The month of October marked a gentle step towards celebrating holidays with our loved ones again. I hope that you were able to gather for Thanksgiving surrounded by good food, great people and a serving or two of gratitude.
Here at Réseau Compassion Network, our team meets every Tuesday morning to get a big picture sense of the week and connect with each other. Every week, a different team member leads us in a mindful moment before we begin. Just after Thanksgiving, our accountant Muriel shared some thoughts that read, in part:
“I would like for us to take a moment and be thankful to have each other at Réseau Compassion Network. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful team. Many of you worked countless hours as a work family to plow through some difficult times in the last 18 months. I hope today you can all be proud of your contributions towards our common goal. As you all know, l’union fait la force / unity is strength.”
Her words struck a chord with many of us and made me stop to think about gratitude. For all the hardship brought about by the pandemic, there is now starting to be light at the end of the tunnel. Our team is back in the office, at least partially, and many of our network organizations are cautiously opening their doors to visitors and volunteers again. I’m so grateful for that; for the ability for people to truly connect again, to laugh together, to mourn together, to simply be together.
I wanted to take a minute to reflect on what else I’m grateful for across the network this month:
- As part of our commitment to reconciliation, we requested that all board members take either the San Yas Cultural Safety program or the University of Alberta Indigenous Canada course. The response was an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Nearly all of our board members (from all 15 network organizations) have confirmed which course they’ll be following. It’s heartening to know that this matters to those who are leading our organizations, and they are so eager to learn and unlearn from our collective past. Education is the foundation of a better way forward for us all.
- Centre Flavie-Larent is now simply known as Centre Flavie. So many people have affectionately called it that for years, and it’s a great shift to make as they prepare to bring in more folks to their community at their new location in early 2022. To see the new brand (and their new website), please click here.
- Our new Youth Hub has a confirmed location. Renovations are underway to create a welcoming space for youth seeking health and social services supports near the corner of St. Mary’s Road and Marion Street. To read more about how the hub will make an impact, please click here.
These are some strategic highlights and don’t begin to touch upon the everyday successes that occur across the network: staff showing up in new and innovative ways, volunteers giving their time for those in need, and bold new ideas being dreamt up every day.
There’s no doubt: we have so much to be thankful for.
Wishing you all the best,
Daniel Lussier
