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What happens when someone actually follows through?

In this episode of Neighbourly, Shannon sits down with Ashley and Chantel to share a story that began with a simple CarePortal request for a wagon and children’s clothes. Chantel was navigating grief, recovery, and isolation. Ashley and her small group simply said yes.

Months passed. Chantel assumed the connection had ended.

But Ashley called.

What followed was more than practical support. It became friendship, community, and a reminder that being a good neighbour often starts with something small, and consistent.

This is a story about keeping your word, rebuilding trust, and discovering that you haven’t been forgotten.

• The power of simple follow-through
• Why consistency matters more than grand gestures
• How community support changes the trajectory for single mothers
• What it looks like when faith is lived out in everyday life
• How saying “yes” to one small request can ripple outward

Think of one person you told, “Let’s connect.”

Follow through.

Ordinary care has extraordinary impact.

Read the full blog post, access the complete transcript, and find additional resources here:

👉 https://neighbourlypodcast.ca

Neighbourly is a weekly podcast sharing real stories of ordinary people offering extraordinary care across Canada. Interview episodes alternate with Neighbourly Headlines, short reflections on neighbourly acts making a difference in our communities.

Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Living Bible Explorers: https://www.livingbibleexplorers.com/

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Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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What happens when ordinary moments push us to care for each other in unexpected ways?

This story weaves through small-town gatherings and urgent rescues, quiet lawn disputes and spontaneous hospitality. As neighbours choose presence over comfort and conversation over complaint, we’re invited to wonder what it really means to love the people around us—even when it’s messy, complicated, or quietly courageous.

Lumby Seniors Build Food, Friendship, and Practical Support

Original story: “Lumby seniors dig into food, friendship and community solutions,” BC Healthy Communities (Nov 27, 2025).

https://bchealthycommunities.ca/index.php/2025/11/27/lumby-seniors-dig-into-food-friendship-and-community-solutions/

Surrey Neighbours Pull Man From Burning Home After Explosion

Original story: “I would do it again’: Surrey neighbours drag man from burning home after explosion” by Jack Rabb, CityNews Vancouver (Jan 12, 2026).

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/01/12/surrey-neighbours-save-from-burning-home-after-explosion/

Gander Residents Drive Stranded Passengers to Hotels

Original story: “Gander, N.L., residents drop everything to drive stranded air passengers to hotels,” The Canadian Press via CityNews Halifax (Jan 8, 2026).

https://halifax.citynews.ca/2026/01/08/gander-n-l-residents-drop-everything-to-drive-stranded-air-passengers-to-hotels/

👀 Neighbourhood Watch

Original complaint: Neighbours complained to the City of Mississauga about tall grass over 20 cm and “nuisance weeds” in a naturalized front yard (public reporting summary).

Source: INsauga (Jan 14, 2026).

https://www.insauga.com/man-wins-court-battle-over-un-mowed-natural-lawn-in-mississauga/

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Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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How do you reach someone who’s been let down so many times that hope feels far away?

This conversation turns toward the heart of presence, listening as Rosemary Ellis shares her journey through childhood trauma, addiction, and the long road to healing. Around shared stories and gentle questions, we hear how care often looks like persistence—a neighbour who brings a sandwich, a bus that offers warmth on cold nights, or a friend who makes space for honesty. There’s no tidy solution, just the steady impact of showing up in messy, uncertain places and believing for change when it feels impossible. The table is open, and this is a story for anyone who wonders if simply being there might matter more than we think.

03:21 "Safe Haven for Inner-City Youth"

06:35 "Healing After Childhood Trauma"

10:08 "Acts of Kindness on Weekends"

14:40 Reaching the Lost Through Faith

17:18 "Simply Showing Up to Love"

22:22 "Reconciliation and Victimization in Churches"

24:08 "Humility, Trauma, and Addiction"

28:19 "Neighborly: Caring That Matters"

Inner City Youth Alive: https://icya.ca

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Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca

Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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What happens when everyday kindness breaks through the rush of headlines?

This story traces moments of quiet care across Canadian communities, from students offering gifts to neighbours making amends over early morning noise. Through simple acts—shared food, heartfelt apology, and gathering in tough times—we’re invited to wonder if the most meaningful news is found close to home, where compassion takes root in ordinary days.

North Vancouver Students Spread Holiday Cheer with Gifts for Youth in Need

Original story: Penticton Herald, December 24, 2025

https://www.pentictonherald.ca/spare_news/article_7dbf8dc9-b0dc-518c-a43f-cf3f6f0a339f.html

Provincial Campaigns Celebrate Neighbourly Support Across British Columbia

Original story: CBC News, December 2025

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/make-the-season-kind-bc-fundraiser-2025-9.7002425

Neighbour Leaves Handwritten Apology Notes for Snow-Blower Noise

Original reporting: Winnipeg Free Press / CTV Winnipeg

Newfoundland and Labrador Residents Raise Funds Through Community Events

Original story: CBC News, December 5, 2025

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-make-the-season-kind-2025-9.7003209

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Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca

Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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How do you show up for someone you care about, knowing you can’t fix what hurts?

This kitchen table conversation wrestles with the urge to jump in and make things better—a reflex that can sometimes get in the way of real connection. Through honest stories and gentle reflection, Johan Heinrichs and Shannon Steeves wonder together if it’s possible that presence, not solutions, is what helps us become the kind of neighbours we long to be.

• Caring does not always mean fixing, presence can be the most meaningful response.
• The urge to fix often comes from discomfort with silence, pain, or lack of control.
• Listening well helps people feel seen and valued, even when nothing is resolved.
• Jesus’ response at Lazarus’ tomb shows that compassion can come before solutions.
• Silence and shared grief are not failures of care, they are forms of love.
• Being helpful is not the same as being present.
• Not every problem is yours to solve, but every person deserves to be heard.
• Practicing a pause can create space for deeper connection.
• Care becomes healthier when it flows from identity, not the need to feel useful.
• Ordinary presence can strengthen relationships and community more than advice.

04:21 "Sharing God's Work Through Us"

06:41 Struggling with Networking Skills

11:36 Navigating Conflict in Relationships

13:32 "Balancing Support After Heartbreak"

19:12 "Identity Rooted in God's Truth"

20:34 "The Power of Compassionate Listening"

24:15 "Presence Over Fixing Struggles"

26:38 "Neighborly Care, Powerful Presence"

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Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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What does neighbourly care look like when it shows up in everyday life—free from noise, but rooted in presence?

This story turns our attention to ordinary moments: a shared meal in a Manitoba winter, ribbons tied on a neighbour’s door, volunteers sweeping a curling rink, and even the debates sparked by a rooster at sunrise. Through gentle headlines and honest reflections, we’re invited to notice the small, sustaining gestures that keep communities connected long after the headlines fade.

Ontario’s Mutual Aid Pilot Weaves Everyday Care into Neighbourhood Resilience

Original story: “Neighbours Helping Neighbours: Pilot Learning Report (2023–2025)” – Hey Neighbour Collective / Building Resilient Neighbourhoods (Sept 26, 2025)

https://www.heyneighbourcollective.ca/2025/09/neighbours-helping-neighbours-learning-report/

Additional: https://www.resilientneighbourhoods.ca/neighbours-helping-neighbours/

BC Curling Volunteers Sweep Up Community Joy on the Ice

Original story: “National Volunteer Week 2025” – Curl BC (May 1, 2025)

https://www.curlbc.ca/national-volunteer-week-2025/

Neighbourhood Watch – Salt Spring Island Rooster Case

Original story: “Salt Spring Island 'chicken war' moves to court as rooster owner challenges noise bylaw” – Jason Proctor, CBC News (May 17, 2022)

Winnipeg’s Chalmers Hub Turns Holiday Gatherings into Year-Round Care

Original story: “Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal” community bulletin – Winnipeg Free Press (Nov 19, 2025)

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/east/2025/11/19/chalmers-neighbourhood-hub-fundraisers

Hub page: https://chalmersrenewal.org

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About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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In this conversation, Shannon and Steve Griffin discuss the intersection of community development and church outreach, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with vulnerable populations. Steve shares his journey from traditional pastoral roles to working directly with those in poverty, highlighting the significance of dignity, belonging, and the power of storytelling in ministry. They explore how volunteers can engage meaningfully with their communities and the transformative impact of connection and service.

Takeaways

1. Community development is about building relationships, not just providing services.
2. Isolation is the biggest issue for vulnerable populations, not lack of resources.
3. Dignity and belonging are essential in outreach ministries.
4. Listening to people's stories is crucial for understanding their needs.
5. Volunteering should be seen as a calling, not just an obligation.
6. Transformative stories often come from deep personal struggles.
7. The church should be a place of belonging for everyone.
8. Rescue can lead to reconciliation and restoration in communities.
9. Everyone has a role to play in serving those in need.
10. Awareness of our surroundings can lead to meaningful connections.

05:09 "Relational Outreach Through Ministry"

10:31 Listening Without Assumptions

13:58 "Mobilizing Love on the Margins"

15:36 "Volunteering with Purpose and Calling"

20:09 "Seeking God in Brokenness"

23:31 "Rescue, Reconciliation, Restoration"

25:55 "Awareness and Compassion in Action"

30:04 "Embracing God's Call to Serve"

Ministry: Centre Street Church

Book: Come to the Table: Mobilizing the Church to Love on the Margins

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Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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What if the best gifts this Christmas aren’t wrapped in paper, but in kindness? Johan Heinrichs shares uplifting stories of care in communities across Canada—from the dignity restored by a pop-up toy store in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, to a teen-led Giving Tree Project spreading generosity in Riverview. With a dash of neighbourhood humour in Warman’s Christmas lights ‘ditto’ rivalry and snow angels clearing sidewalks in Central Alberta, this conversation offers heartfelt examples of ordinary people showing extraordinary care. It’s a reminder that hope is alive, celebrated in everyday moments of presence, laughter, and compassion.

Original reporting:

• “We Don’t Turn Anybody Away: Salvation Army’s Christmas Assistance, Toy Store.” Discover Weyburn.
• “Toy Store Initiative Gives Families Dignity and Fairness During Christmas.” Salvation Army Prairie Division.

This segment is inspired by multiple local “angel tree” and youth-led Christmas giving initiatives reported in New Brunswick community newspapers. No single definitive article is publicly available for citation.

• Community coverage of youth-led Christmas giving projects across Riverview and Greater Moncton. (Various local reports, 2023–2024.)

Original reporting:

• “Neighbour Puts Up ‘Ditto’ Sign in Response to Epic Christmas Lights Display.” CTV News Saskatoon.
• “Warman Residents Turn Christmas Light Rivalry Into Community Fun.” SaskToday.ca.

Original reporting and primary source:

• Snow Angels Canada – National volunteer snow-removal initiative.
• “Snow Angels Program Encourages Albertans to Help Their Neighbours.” CTV News Edmonton.
• “Red Deer and Area Residents Encouraged to Join Snow Angels Program.” Red Deer Advocate.

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Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

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