Letter for April 15, 2005

CCCA to hold meeting about safety

Are you concerned about safety in the Elgin Street neighbourhood?

The Centretown Citizens Community Association will be holding a town hall meeting focusing on public safety in the Elgin Street area.

Recent developments such as the decision by Corrections Canada to try and open a Parole Office opposite Elgin Street Elementary School without any public consultation, vandalism, vehicular congestion, winter sidewalk conditions, and noise has a negative impact on the quality of life for the residents of the Elgin Street neighbourhood.

If you are concerned about any of these issues you should attend this meeting. It is your neighbourhood and politicians will only listen to public pressure. Make your voice count.

The meeting will take place in the Jack Purcell Community Centre at 7:30 PM on Tuesday May 3. Local politicians and police will be present. Memberships to the CCCA will also be available.

Albert Galpin,

Chair, Committee for Neighbourhood Safety and Security,

Centretown Citizens

Community Association

United Way seeks community involvement

United Way/Centraide Ottawa has a long history of working with the community to ensure Ottawa remains a strong, healthy and safe place in which to live, work and raise our families. We are seeking to engage volunteers to sit on six newly formed Impact Councils.

In 2003, United Way/Centraide Ottawa approached the community to help us determine where we should be focusing our work and investments based on community needs and priorities. This process resulted in the establishment of the following six “impact areas”:

*Promoting Healthy Development for Children & Youth;

*Reducing Isolation and Enhancing the Quality of Life of Seniors;

*Reducing Barriers and Increasing Participation for People with Disabilities;

*Strengthening Individuals and Families in Times of Need and Crisis;

*Reducing Barriers and Increasing Engagement for New Canadians and Immigrants; and

*Strengthening Agency, Neighbourhood and Community Capacity.

In recruiting volunteers for these new Impact Councils, it is our intention that they represent the broadest cross-section of our community — social services representatives, public and private sector professionals, labour representatives, and community leaders — allowing our community to benefit from diverse skill sets, best practices and varied approaches.

In return, volunteers have the opportunity to directly impact the quality of life for the people of Ottawa by helping to identify community solutions and guide investment decisions to put resources where they are needed most and will have the greatest impact.

If you are interested in more information or would like to make an application please visit United Way’s website at www.unitedwayottawa.ca contact us at (613) 228-6700, ext 6028. Deadline for applications is April 20.

Tom Barber,

Chair,

Community Services

United Way/Centraide

Ottawa