A group of volunteers is working to find ways to make Powell River a little happier and in the process a little more connected.
Christine Townley is a community connector for inclusion Powell River and Building Better Communities. For the past few months, she and her volunteers have been organizing “pop-up events in an attempt to create unity and happiness just because it’s a nice thing to do,” Townley said.
In November the group organized a few Hugs and Hot Chocolate events where volunteers would appear at random locations throughout Powell River offering passersby a warm surprise and hopefully a conversation. Then during the holidays Townley organized Christmas carolling.
“It’s an effort to just get out into the community and have some fun,” said Townley who explained that it is her job to assist people in making positive, meaningful connections with others. “It does so by looking at [a] person’s assets and then attempts to match them to either people, places, hobbies, organizations or basically anything that allows the person who feels ‘unconnected’ to use their gifts in way that is meaningful to them and makes them feel connected,” she said about her job. “It is based on a vision of asset-based community development and the connector acts as somewhat of a catalyst in the process.”
The group’s current project is positive postcards, Townley said.
The volunteers have set up tables at various events during January and February and have been asking people to spend a couple of minutes to create an anonymous postcard with a positive message on it.
“So far they are turning out to be quite creative and artsy,” she added.
All supplies are available and people are not being charged to participate.
“For those who are busy or don’t feel they have a message to send we actually have some printed ideas they can use,” she said.
The group intends to collect as many as they can up to the beginning of March and then hand deliver them to random homes throughout Powell River “in an effort to put a smile on people’s faces—so they receive something in their mail slot that is unexpected, positive and not a bill,” she added.
