Casting a global net for local innovation
Photo by Serge Kutuzov (unsplash.com)
In a recent Future of Good article, the work of Toronto collaborators West Neighbourhood House and InWithForward was featured as an example of Social R&D - that is: the practice of seeking better social outcomes by trying new ways nonprofits and charities work and deliver services.
West’s new program is so simple in its design, and yet so useful in its delivery. “Knock Knock,” cards are placed on doors in a seniors’ community housing building in Parkdale, west Toronto. Much like “Do Not Disturb” signs in hotels, they tell staff and volunteers from West that they should knock to check in and make sure otherwise isolated residents are ok.
According to West’s executive director, Maureen Fair, the signs have reassured seniors that people are looking out for them.
The Knock Knock program is exactly what we look for at UpSocial Canada. A program that is tested, working and scalable.
As part of our Caring Community Challenge, last November, we gathered 30 people on Zoom - residents living in the Bathurst and Finch neighbourhood, community organizations based there, the City of Toronto, Toronto Public Library and issue area experts in seniors care, arts, housing, inclusion and more. The purpose of the gathering was to decide how this cohort of people wanted to look after each other better in the Bathurst and Finch community.
Looking after each other better looks like different things to everyone, but we generated a lot of ideas during our sessions together. In the beginning, it looked a bit like this:
At the end of the workshop, the group had became much clearer. Back in March 2020, we announced we were looking for ways we could look after each other better in the places where we live, work and play. Now that our Challenge participants have weighed in, our specific quest will be: To meet the need for greater inclusion in the Bathurst and Finch neighbourhood, how might we better use shared and public spaces to foster belonging across intercultural and intergenerational lines?
The next phase of the work is to throw the net far and wide, seeking programs, strategies and initiatives out there in the world that have answered this Challenge question. As a cohort, we’ll be looking for programming that can be adapted to the Bathurst and Finch community, can be sustained over time and can produce the impact desired by the group.
While the Knock Knock program addresses some aspects of this Challenge question, it won’t address the desire to animate gathering spaces of belonging. But the spirit of the program remains inspiring as we begin our search.
If you’re into urban planning, community development, activism, arts and culture, multi-faith gathering, design or if you just just keep an eye out for good ideas to bring people together, let us know if you know a program we should look at more closely.
We’ll be working over the next 4 months to compile a strong list to present back to the group. It’s an exciting point on our journey.
If you’re interested in how our process led to this Challenge question, here’s a link to the workshop report. If you’re keen on reading our Bathurst and Finch Context and Issue Paper, you can download it here.
And finally, please share our Challenge Brief with your networks. Help us in this discovery process.