October is the month of Thanksgiving, and I would like to share a few of the things that I am grateful for as I work in and around our community. The things that I notice and appreciate. As many of you may know, my passions and reasons for what I do is the community. If you have cleaned an alley, picked up stray garbage, or called in illegal dumping, thank you. If you have pulled a weed, planted a flower or a tree, you are a hero. If you’ve reached out to get help for, or to help those less fortunate, thank you. These are the actions and responses that prove how important and appreciated you are. I know that others have the same experiences, and I invite you to share or comment.
Community Cleanup: Many of you in the Gibson neighbourhood have noticed a random guy walking around Powell Park, Woodlands Park and Birch Avenue Greenspace with a garbage can or bag. My thanks, and those of the community, goes out to John E, our neighbourhood Waste Management Department. Your work has made a noticeable difference. John has decided to take a break from his daily volunteer duties, and we have noticed! If anyone would like to step in while John takes a break, let me know, and I will get you the supplies needed. A huge ‘Thank You’ John, from all of us.
‘Eyes on the Hood’: Our community parks need constant supervision. We rely on the neighbourhood champions like Emily, Michelle and Cindy who report illegal dumping and damages, neighbours who walk their dogs through the park, residents who live nearby, and use the parks regularly. They notice the safety issues, vandalism, repairs that are needed, and the disadvantaged that need to sleep rough and call in for supports. The city is unable see everything we do, so they help them keep on top of things. Over the years, these stewards of our community build a safer, and better place for all of us to live, work and play.
Alley Stewards: For 10 years, hundreds of volunteers across the city have supported my dream of Beautiful Alleys. Twice a year they show up to clean their spaces. The amazing thing is that many of them continue throughout the year. Our last record showed that almost 200 alleys have been “adopted” by residents. It makes a difference!
Our community continues to be invested in building safe neighbourhoods where we can raise our families, work, and retire in. The GALA Herald has been welcomed with open arms and enthusiasm. In just a few short months, we have expanded our reach with our neighbours in Crown Point, and Stinson, requesting for our publication to be delivered to their areas. So, being the inclusive and community driven people we are, we need your help as we continue to grow!
I am reaching out to each of you to consider how important your assistance and your voice is to make our community what you hope to see.
Immediate help is needed in these areas:
• Editorial Assistant: Email reminders three times a month to our partners and writers.
• Ad Sales: Solicit advertising from the businesses you visit. Pass those contacts on to our email to be followed up on.
• Invoicing: Send out electronic invoices from our accounting system once a month.
• Social Media: Share articles on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter periodically throughout the month.
• Delivery: Choose one street, or more, to drop papers off as early as possible after the first of the month.
• Writers: Share your conversations or experiences with us, bring items of community interest to our attention.
• Proof Reading/Editing: There are never enough eyes on an article to ensure the grammar, spelling and content is accurate. We maintain a professional performance standard.
• Host Depots: If your business can host copies of the paper for your clients, please let us know how many you would like.
Please contact us at galaherald@gmail.com for details. Our team is small but the rewards are big!
