Working on Life

One of the things that I love most about the Dale community is the authenticity that is so often modelled by our friends. In many spheres of life, we humans tend to wear elaborate masks and avoid vulnerability. When asked how we’re doing, the typical/acceptable answer is a quick “fine thanks; how are you?” However,…

Are those my people?!

We met a new friend today. This person joined us at art drop-in, along with a support person. The two of them sat and created art, listened to music (on our little bluetooth speaker, as well as an original piece sung by a community member), and our new friend even shared a few snippets of…

a week of wins!

Last week was one for the books! As Erinn wrote about in her latest blog, a dear Dale friend had their (urgent) housing and healthcare needs met in an unusually timely fashion. This was the result of some pretty beautiful teamwork on the part of a variety of agencies; further proof that partnership and collaboration…

Sunday Tendernesses

She entered the sanctuary, her presence announced by the jingle bells on her walker. She sat in her usual spot, a few rows back on the left side. During community prayer time she acknowledged that things have been a true struggle lately. Getting around is increasingly difficult, and she really, really hates this fact. And,…

[untitled]

As many of you will know, much of Ontario just experienced a deeply cold snap. Temperatures in Toronto dropped last Thursday night to around minus 30, and stayed very cold until Saturday night. While this kind of weather is uncomfortable for everyone, it can be deadly for others. On that Thursday morning, a relatively new…

A true win-win-win

As you likely know by now, The Dale loves neighbourhood partnerships, including our connections with the many organizations based out of 201 Cowan Avenue. One of our more recent connections is with a not-for-profit social enterprise called Aangen. Aangen’s “All Dried Up” program is located in the kitchen right next to The Dale’s office in…

The Holy Hug

I’m a hugger. One my many childhood nicknames was “Huggy Bear,” and one of the many nicknames I’ve recevied from Dale community members over the years is “The Hugging Bandit.” Over the last few weeks I’ve been fighting a cold, followed by the stomach flu, and have been avoiding hugs for the protection of those…

Our first Dale wedding!

Dear reader, if you’ve been following The Dale’s journey for even a little while, you’ll know that we do a lot of funerals and memorials. While it is an honour to be asked to do these services, it is a weighty honour that we wish wasn’t necessary quite so frequently. For many years, one community…

Joy is not made to be a crumb

One month ago today I was heading into an eight day silent retreat at Loyola House, an organic farm and retreat center in Guelph, run by a group of Jesuits. This experience was made possible through the generosity of some amazing friends, and every one of those eight days was a gift. With the help…

Grace at the grocery store

After a couple of weeks off (about which I’ll write soon), I’m back in the Dale saddle 🙂 One of the things I love about how Tuesdays currently look at The Dale is that I get to just “do life” in the neighbourhood. I check the mail, do some grocery shopping for our Thursday breakfast,…