After more than 25 years, e4c Community Development closed the office at McCauley Apartments on June 30th. As the previous program manager for eight years, I thought I’d share some fond memories.

In the 1990s, e4c was invited by Capital Region Housing (now Civida) to set up a presence at McCauley Apartments. It was a win-win: e4c gained an outreach space, and McCauley Apartments gained an on-site gathering space to offer social connection and tenant support.

As time went by, the tenants of McCauley Apartments became active contributors to neighbourhood life, sitting on the Community League board, volunteering at festivals and church events, supporting the McCauley Cup, and organizing the annual McCauley Safe Kids Halloween. Many neighbours will remember the McCauley Clean-Up, an extravaganza of garbage collection and litter cleanup, hosted at McCauley Apartments.

We learned that - despite the challenges of poverty, mental health struggles, stigma, and isolation - we each have a deep well of love and connection and service and neighbourliness.

The little office at the back of McCauley Apartments holds so many stories, so many characters, so much joy and wonder. The music, the laughter, the food, the gardens, the community clean-ups and litter blitzes, the crafts, the chair yoga, the coffee, the puzzles, the sharing circles, the tie-dyed t-shirts, the poetry in the park, the ukulele lessons, the love and care and checking on each other.

May you continue to find each other despite many challenges. 

Kathryn Rambow is a former program manager with e4c who has recently completed graduate school and is starting a counselling practice. She lives a block north of McCauley with her family.