Community Connector builds relationships of trust in Chandler Mowat

Ummulkheir Mohammed is passionate about her neighbourhood. She goes by “Umi” for short.

A few years ago, Umi walked into Chandler Mowat Community Center and said, “Hi. My name is Umi and I want to see how I can get involved.” Not long after that day she ran an event for girls and young women that taught them about self-esteem.

Since then, she’s served on the youth council at the center, organized parent and child cooking classes, raised funds for famine relief, initiated ESL support services in her neighbourhood, and ran a whole host of fun events for kids.

Her volunteer efforts at Chandler Mowat helped her build many relationships in the community. Now she’s taking those relationships even deeper as a Community Connector supported by United Way Waterloo Region Communities. The Community Connector initiative supports people who are active in their neighbourhood and gives them more resources to strengthen relationships and build neighbourhood skills and capacity. Resources include money for small activities, tools and ideas to get things started, and learning opportunities with other Community Connectors from other neighbourhoods.

So now she’s dropping in on neighbours for tea and asking them what they need. She’s greeting people in the halls at Chandler Mowat and asking them how they’re doing. She’s talking to friends and neighbours and families and implementing the activities and programs that they’re asking for.

Umi is working tirelessly for a brighter tomorrow for her neighbours. That’s something we can all aspire to.

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