Frank Spinelli, founder of the original Italian Centre Shop, often said, “When you have more, you don’t build a wall, you build a bigger table.” He and his wife Rina built a beautiful home with a big table across from the Shop. His statue in Giovanni Caboto Park still watches over the community and the Shop.  

After Rina died in March 2022, Teresa knew her parents would be pleased for their house to welcome people at challenging times in their lives. Ukrainian families fleeing the war stayed for several months. Then came families needing respite from the Yukon wildfires in 2022. Teresa wondered what more she could do.  

A friend knew the Alberta Lung Association wanted to build a house to support people waiting for a lung transplant. Teresa had been at fundraisers for “Breathing Space” but knew it would take several years to build the facility. She approached Leigh Allard, President and CEO, and the “Casa Spinelli” partnership was born and opened to patients in January 2024. Leigh knew “this community would love our people and in turn, they would enjoy the store, the café and the park.” Mike Newberry, Teresa’s husband, is a great supporter. In addition to bringing pizza, pastries, and smiles into Casa Spinelli, he brings Rocky, his golden retriever, realizing people were missing their pets. 

Alberta has the highest rate of lung disease in Canada. Edmonton has the second largest of four lung transplant centres in Canada, serving people in B.C., Alberta, Yukon, NWT, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Being ill and waiting for a transplant is a time of isolation, fear, and exhaustion from all the medical testing. You still have your everyday bills to pay and you don’t know how long you will have to stay in Edmonton. The Alberta Lung Association wants to remove the financial barriers so people have a second chance at life. 

I met with Teresa, Leigh, and Juanita Murphy around la tavola (Italian for “the table”). Juanita is a double-lung transplant recipient. She donated a blanket for a future transplant recipient. “I know the feeling of not being able to breathe, facing dying whether or not you have the transplant. It’s a lonely place, and you’re dealing with God on your own. When you wake up after surgery, you can’t believe that you can take a deep breath on your own.”  

Juanita grew up in McCauley and experienced the generosity of the Spinelli family. She is grateful for Teresa’s donation of her mother’s house. She said to Teresa, “Your mom is touching lives in so many ways; she is giving the gift of life and hope. When she was alive, she and your dad were feeding the neighbourhood. Now, through her house, she is giving a safe, quiet, calm place where you know you are not alone.”

Kate Quinn has lived in McCauley for 48 years.