This August, Communitas celebrated its annual Summer BBQs both in the Fraser Valley and on Vancouver Island. This tradition goes back decades and is eagerly anticipated each year by the people we serve, our staff, and our families.

 Miracle Beach, An Idyllic Setting

Dozens of people gathered at Miracle Beach for the Communitas outing on North Vancouver Island. The weather was glorious, making the beach-side setting as beautiful as ever.

This gathering has its own traditions including the popular face/body-painting by Cathy Corbett from Magical Faces, a delicious cake decorated with the Communitas logo, and a group photo (above.) People also enjoyed Giant Jenga, blowing bubbles, and the balloon animals created by Cathy’s daughter, Sarah.

Gail loves the BBQ and always looks forward Cathy’s face painting. This year she also got a monkey balloon, which gave her a big smile. Patricia Heard, who is a support worker in the home where Gail lives, says blowing bubbles was a highlight for her.

For others who also live in the home, it was a combination of the food, the beautiful sunny day, the food, and the harmonious energy of everyone there. Jacqueline Anderson manages the home and she appreciates the effort that went into putting it all together.

“There were plenty of games and activities, great food, and the venue set up with shade tents and the ocean breeze blowing in… I’m very appreciative of the hard work that went into setting this all up,” Jacqueline says.

Kathy Saunders is a program director in Campbell River. The highlight for her was watching all the interactions between people.

“Everyone was so happy to see each other!” Kathy says. “This is why it is so important to have this annual event: to continue to foster and build relationships.”

Fraser Valley Sunshine

In the Fraser Valley, hundreds of people returned to Matsqui Village Park for the annual BBQ event. People enjoyed games like Ring Toss, Corn Hole, and Tic Tac Toe. Everyone enjoyed grooving to the great music provided by Crystal Hicks and band, who have been part of this event for years.

Balloon animals and face painting was provided by Mellow and Yvonne of Chubby Cheeks Face Painting and was very popular. Barbequed burgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings were provided once again by Klassic Catering.

For home manager, Alex Peters, seeing people from other services makes her heart full. She believes strongly that coming together like this once a year is important as it helps us remember why we do this work.

“Every home, the day services team, the managers, and the office staff – we all make a team,” Alex says. “Every single person makes Communitas what it is.”

Ryan has been attending the BBQ for years. He often comes with his brother Shane and his friends, Crystal and Brian. Connecting with others is important to Ryan.

“My favourite part of the BBQ is seeing friends I haven’t seen for a while,” Ryan says. “I also love the food and the music band!”

CEO Matt Dirks appreciates the way each event brings people together to celebrate community. Whether it’s the scenic setting at Miracle Beach or beneath the shady trees at Matsqui Village Park, the BBQs are a vehicle for gathering people together and sharing meaningful connections.

“At our core, Communitas is about relationship and community,” Matt says. “The BBQs bring everyone together and they really demonstrate the number and diversity of lives being impacted in our communities.”