Even during a pandemic, despite lockdowns and regulations, GALA has grown. In March of 2020, when the Planning Team went on hiatus, we had just over 300 members on our Facebook group. Today, we have almost 900 members! In my mind, that shows an interest in our community.
We believe that now is the time to bring our community together and continue working with the residents to make our community better. We have the “bones”, we have interest and we are ready to help make it happen.
Tell us what you need and consider your responses to these questions:
What is a viable hub organizational structure?
• a few reps from projects
• a mentor, someone to help support the gathering and to keep things organized
• what are you working on now
• what would you like to see happen
What would you need help with?
• ideas & resources from peers & mentors to help unblock work
• have the chance to form partnerships or action groups
• watch a presentation of a completed project
Please share your thoughts and ideas by email gala.hub.chair@gmail.com
What is a Community Planning Team you might wonder… Sometimes it is referred to as a “hub” but the bottom line is a group of like-minded residents who come together to care for their neighbours and envision what they need to make their street, their neighbourhood or their community a healthy and safe area to raise their families and reside. It is based on resident led initiatives and supported under the umbrella of the Planning Team.
Like every organization, it operates under an agreed up Mission, Vision and Values statement. GALA (Gibson and Landsdale Area) is a Community Planning Team.
What is an Action Team….another good question! Under that umbrella we spoke of, a team or sub-committee is formed to bring an idea or a plan to fruition. A group takes responsibility and stewardship over an idea. The Action Team must follow the MVV of the Planning Team. The GALA Herald is an action team, as is Beautiful Alleys, GALA Events and GALA Parks and Gardens. These are action teams that have become sustainable and are supported by GALA Community Planning Team.
Over the years, there have been other “action teams” formed. Some failed because they didn’t have community interest or involvement. Others completed their objectives and were no longer needed.
In a few, very rare cases, the action team went outside of the Mission, Vision and Values of GALA and support was withdrawn. They defied the MVV, attacked our community partners or used the action team to further their personal goals for profit or recognition. We have little control over how these groups perform after they are removed. In some cases, they continue to use the GALA name to garner community interest and support, solicit funding or to imply credibility.
Our goal is to be inclusive and we want you to make informed and knowledgeable decisions. Don’t base your support on the premise that every group that displays the GALA logo or outdated materials is still supported by GALA so that you join their efforts. Check in with our website; look at our Facebook page or send an email and we will let you know. We support all of our residents and their initiatives so if you haven’t seen recent posts, they are NOT SUPPORTED BY GALA. It is disappointing and a sad reflection of the values of these groups when they resort to these methods.
Please email gala.chair@gmail.com with your questions or concerns
