Bravely Connected Communities

We had a wonderful time speaking for the town of Carstairs for their volunteer appreciation event. They wanted me to remind volunteers why they matter ❤️

That was easy because anyone who volunteers in their community is creating connection in a world that is increasingly disconnected

We took time to reflect on who invested in you? Who inspired you to serve? And what do you feel is the ripple effect of even impacting one person?

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Because when you help one person, you never impact just one person. That person is connected to others.

Don’t underestimate how seeing people, valuing people, giving them a space can ripple into something far larger than we realize.

One of the most powerful moments was when I asked people to turn to one another and say, “Because of you our community is…”

People left reminded of why what they do matters.
If you’re someone making a difference wherever you are, no that it all matters and it’s adding up more than you could possibly imagine ❤️❤️❤️

What if:
Kids felt supported
Parents felt connected
Bullying started to decrease

This is where it begins.

📅 TONIGHT | 6:30pm
📍 2385 74th Ave SE

Come be part of building the village.
We are grateful to be working with

What would change if no child in Ogden felt alone?

Right now, too many of our kids are carrying things they shouldn’t have to—bullying, isolation, feeling unseen.

When parents come together…
When kids are surrounded by safe adults…
When we stop doing this alone…

Everything begins to shift.

We’re gathering this Wednesday (tomorrow) to start building that kind of community—together, along with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary.

📍 2385 74th Ave SE
🕡 6:30pm

Bring a friend. Bring another parent.
Because this only works if we show up for each other.

💛 No child stands alone here.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what parents are mentioning they are seeing in our community.
Bullying. Disconnection. Kids struggling in ways that feel heavy.

Many are trying to carry this on their own.Talking to teachers. Supporting our kids. Doing everything they can behind the scenes. But what if the answer isn’t just trying harder individually. What if the answer is coming together?

I recently heard a story about a community not that different from ours. Parents started noticing the same things we are:
Kids withdrawing. Acting out. Isolating. At first, they handled it alone.

But then a few parents started having honest conversations:

“Is your child struggling too?”
“Mine is… and I don’t know what to do.”

And that moment changed everything. They decided:
We’re not going to do this alone anymore.

They began gathering.
They built relationships with each other.
They created spaces where kids could belong.
They brought in mentors and support.

And over time, the bullying didn’t just get addressed, it began to decrease. Because the culture shifted to
“We’ve got each other.”

This is the kind of community we believe Ogden can become.

A place where Parents are connected
Kids are known and supported
And no one is walking through this alone

We’re hosting a gathering this week to begin building that kind of village together—and I would love for you to be part of it if you would like to be.

At the Hub 2385 74th Ave SE
6:30pm
Wednesday, April 13

Ogden parents—this is for you.

If you’re concerned about bullying, disconnection, or your child struggling… you’re not alone.

What if we built a village around our kids—together?

Join us this Wednesday at 6:30pm to be part of a community conversation with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

📍 2385 74th Ave SE

Let’s build something better for our kids.

Event link here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GZmCVZVxb/

What does creating community look like?
It looks like locals coming together to create something wonderful for everyone!

In Ogden these parents came together to create an Easter Egg hunt for the kids. Their businesses sponsored, they rallied volunteers and made it happen 🙌🏻🙌🏻

This is what can happen when people start to care about their community and step up to create it.

Celebrating .wow for what you did for the community this Easter weekend 🙏🏻❤️

Pure joy ❤️
We have been hosting the Dream Academy in my community for the past year and a half, and a a now a leadership course called Culture Creators just recently for people who want to have skills to step up and lead in the community.

One mom has a dream to bring moms together. She and a team hosted a Valentines dance and it was so beautiful to see!

We don’t have much for families in the community yet, and I was so proud of her for stepping up with courage to lead and create!

I have found that many have dreams and passions, we just don’t know where to start. When we are given the “how” and then people to surround us - we can see the passions inside us come to life.

I can’t wait to see what they do for moms and families next!
So proud of you Melissa Neidig 🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻

And what a great team! Sandy Pittet Veronika Kotasova Stephanie Piskopos and others 👏🏻👏🏻

Do you agree?
Calling all parents from Shawnessy, Millrise, Evergreen! This Thursday you have a chance to have your say on what can help your young people!

is a program that was started in Iceland that brought youth addiction down dramatically! If you’re a parent who wants a say,
Register and plan to be there 🌟🙌🏻

Know a parent that needs to be there? Tag or Share this with them ❤️
Flyer is in the comments 👇🏻

Shawnee-Evergreen Community
Shawnessy Community Association
Millrise Community Association

Repost from

this is why we need bravely connected communities more than ever. So people can practice friendship again..

So there’s always a place where connection is an option. But it will feel brave and vulnerable. But maybe that’s exactly what we need?

Parents matter more than ever.
We desperately need connection - because builds resilience in kids.
Rebuilding the village may be the most powerful thing we can do right now.

At the end of this blog, I share some exciting news for parents in Calgary at the end! Be sure to reach out if this interests you.

The Village Isn’t Gone, It’s Waiting: Why Parents Are the Key to Rebuilding the World for Our Kids We are living in a moment where something feels deeply off. Kids are more anxious, lonely, and disconnected than ever before.Parents are overwhelmed, exhausted, and quietly carrying far more than t…