Events
Taste and Tour Celebrates Communitas’ Work in Community
The annual Taste and Tour at Communitas Supportive Care Society brought together the community in Campbell River to celebrate the organization’s 30-year history on the island.It was an opportunity for people to learn more about Communitas services.
Communitas supports people living with disabilities on north Vancouver Island as well as the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. In Campbell River and Courtenay, Communitas facilitates home living options for adults and youth, shared living arrangements, and community inclusion services.
Program directors, Sheila Bennett and Kathy Saunders commented on the relaxed atmosphere, which made it easy to engage with guests. They noted the pride with which managers spoke about Communitas’ work. Kathy was also encouraged by the people who attended previous events and who engaged her in conversation.
“They were ‘checking in’ on how things were going since they’d last been to an event,” Kathy says. “That was such a highlight for me.”
Sheila agrees. “It truly felt like people wanted to have a deeper understanding of the work we do,” she says.
Samantha Palmer is the philanthropy and donor engagement manager for Communitas. She was encouraged by the support of the community, coming together to learn more about an organization that is making a huge impact in Campbell River and Courtenay.
“We can’t make events like this happen without the support of our community,” Samantha said. “It’s the most wonderful thing to be able to bring our donors and sponsors together and connect with them in person to share what’s happening at Communitas.”
Guests had the chance to interact with staff and other supporters as they enjoyed refreshments. Information panels gave people a chance to learn more and ask questions.
One of the highlights of the evening was the distribution of door prizes. Olha Buhai is the executive assistant for Communitas. She says the support from local businesses who contributed prizes was overwhelmingly positive.
“It is such a great example of partnership,” Olha says. “Our guests won donated products and services and I believe they will become loyal customers to the local businesses that donated them.”
Samantha agrees. “There were so many generous gifts donated by community members, and they brought a lot of joy to our winners!”
CEO Matt Dirks says events like this are a meaningful way for the organization to connect personally with people in the community. He is proud of the deep roots that Communitas has in the Campbell River area and the way that staff live out the organization’s mission, vision, and values every day.
“Our staff are dedicated to person-centred care in all that they do and that is reflected in the quality care that the people we serve receive,” Matt says. “It was such an honour to celebrate that work and share it with community members – especially those who had not heard of us before.”
*all photos by Darrell McKay
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