Social Development Centre Waterloo Region

It is time to come together and celebrate! We are expecting you at Kitchener City Hall Rotunda on November 18, 1 to 3 pm. We will share stories and recognize the accomplishments of the neighbours who made their gatherings even more inclusive. Inclusion Challenge Recognitions will be made by the Independent Living Centre Waterloo Region, and we will draw two Neighbourhood Improvement Grants! There is a special announcement regarding the Neighbourhood Connection Award: “Reaching out across the diversity in our neighbourhoods is not easy but is so worth the effort and will enrich the community life in Kitchener -Trudy Beaulne". Wonderful supports received this year to make our celebratory event even more special: Boehmers Hargest Block, Steed and Evans, Victoria Park Neighbourhood Association, Alejandra Ivic Re/Max Twin City Realty Inc., Grand Valley Society of Architects, Strassburger, Mumbly Insurance, Swanson's Home Hardware Building Centre, Freure Homes, Waterloo Regional Police Service, Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region, ASCEND.

You and your neighbours are invited to enjoy a fun afternoon with neighbourly people like you once you have registered a neighbourhood activity with the FoN. Read more in our September E Neighbour about the great Kitchener neighbourhoods and the people behind them! Whether your get-together was simple or elaborate, as long as it was inclusive of all your neighbours and allowed them to interact face to face, it is eligible for prizes and awards. To ensure that your activity qualifies your neighbourhood for the $20,000 capital improvement grant draws just give us a call or email. Register qualifying neighbourhood activities held between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 with the Festival of Neighbourhoods before October 5, 2018. Join us at the Festival Finale at Kitchener City Hall on November 18 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, when the draws for the $20,000 neighbourhood grants will be held and the winners announced.

"The Social Development Centre is a Community Service Hub and without the hub the wheel does not spin - it just rolls, wobbles and crashes and the spokes fly around in every direction."  Loralie Broderick, CityWatch of WaterlooRegion

This is a quote from 2015 when many of our collaborators were sending in testimonies to support our funding requests. It sounds true today more than ever. After the First Small Groups Networking forum, we are exploring the universe of the local social innovation spaces to decide how to move forward with a unique idea of bringing small nonprofits together under a shared platform. The space in itself is not the highest priority. The 30 groups that came together in November told us that they seek cross promotion and recruitment from a co-working space. If you are struggling to reach out and connect to the community, consider this short survey and do come and meet with us on the 26th of July at  pm at the Social Development Centre.

The Social Development Centre has always been at the forefront of innovative community initiatives and has proudly seen most of them become independent and adopted by the best possible hosts. By becoming a Member, you can contribute to the future innovative projects, that may be now only a glimmer of possibility but have the potential to become the leading social development enterprises. You can find out more about our work in 2017 in the Activity Report and recognize the trends in the making.