Happy New Year Parkdale Neighbours.
Last month, December 29 marked 66 years for our community. Community Associations play an integral role – convening and building community, while sharing ideas to improve our quality of life. 2020 tested this. COVID-19 changed the way we operated and the way we engaged.
- In the spring of 2020, community members responded to our call to help one another. This included, delivering groceries to seniors and running errands for neighbours. The neighbour matching program provided support to people in the early days of the COVID-19 lock down.
- The PCA successfully accessed provincial and municipal COVID-19 funding. These monies kept the PCA whole, as we were forced to shut-down our operations.
- Social distancing and forced closures resulted in limited events and programs. Our soccer program and major community events like, Family Day, Stampede Breakfast, and PetFest were cancelled.
- Our well subscribed garden program was able to operate with safety protocols. This was a challenge but provided an outlet for enjoying the outdoors.
- Calgary’s first accessible outdoor rink (phase 1) was constructed. We were able to maintain construction and are looking forward to opening the rink this month (pending the weather).
- We couldn’t end the year without having a community event. The Santa Sleigh ride through Parkdale on December 5, which collected donations for the Calgary Food Bank and I Belong Bags was a huge success. We saw so many community members outside (social distancing) to catch a glimpse of Santa as he rode by.
I am really proud that the PCA was able to wade through the challenges of COVID-19 and how it impacted our operations and programs. We were able to maintain a healthy organization (financially) and provide supports to the community.
I am hopeful for 2021 and am looking forward to sharing our plans for the Parkdale Hub (phase 2 of the outdoor community rink).
As we move forward into 2021, we need your help. We are looking for a volunteer that can assist the PCA with its communications. This includes coordinating the monthly Parkdale Post newsletter, providing updates on social media, and managing our community website. If you have a few hours each month to share community news and connect with our residents, please let me know.
Let’s make 2021 a great year for Parkdale!
Cheers to the New Year!
Amanda Affonso
