As this summer newsletter reaches you, I’m still smiling about some special events of the past few months. We celebrated two sold-out in-person events in June: the annual Hamilton Hope and Homes Banquet and the first London Hope and Homes Social. Earlier, many had gathered for the long-awaited Lakeshore Lofts’ Grand Opening in Mississauga and, by the time you read this, most tenants will have moved into their new apartments at Simcoe’s Dogwood Suites, and many people will have moved into the three buildings at The Oaks in Hamilton.
I shared at these events about how good it felt to finally be together, in the same space, after so much change and isolation in the past two years. It felt like the good parts of a family reunion! And it’s not just at these celebrations that the Indwell family is coming together again. In our programs that include meals, we just received the green light to begin holding communal meals again!
I also noticed many new faces at these events—those of new tenants, new community members and new staff. It’s a reflection of our current growth. At the beginning of 2022, Indwell supported people in 671 apartments. By the end of 2022, we’ll have a staggering 391 additional apartments open to tenants… with more under construction or in pre-development. Wow!
It’s incredibly moving to stand in a new building and hear stories. At the Lakeshore Lofts Grand Opening, we heard from a tenant who had lived under a tarp in a park, watching this new building being constructed across the road. He had just moved into his own apartment! You can imagine the cheering and congratulations after he spoke.
Stories like this serve as a reminder that in this family, gathering together is more than ribbon cutting ceremonies and great food (though we still love those and hope you continue to join us!). We come together with a common set of values rooted in the teachings of Jesus—dignity, love, hope—and a commitment to doing the often hard—but always good—work of providing hope and homes for all.
On behalf of all of us at Indwell, thank you for who you are and all that you do to support health, wellness, and belonging.
Together with you,
Jeff Neven, CEO
PS – Check out the events page on our website to learn about upcoming events in your community: indwell.ca/events
