With the growing population in Chestermere comes many new residents who are not necessarily familiar with the town beyond their immediate neighbourhood as we all know it takes time to learn about your new home, neighbours and community.
That was the case for the Beattie family. New to Chestermere, the young family of four moved to Lakeside Greens Drive only six weeks ago. With two small children, parents Heather and Chris have been busy unpacking while getting comfortable in their new home so there has not yet been a lot of time to discover all that Chestermere has to offer.
That was until last week when two volunteers from Mighty Neighbourly came knocking on the door of their new home to welcome the family to their new town. Mighty Neighbourly is a new initiative that inspires residents to become better neighbours; a movement of welcoming hospitality that invites everyone living in Chestermere to feel right at home.
Mighty Neighbourly volunteers Jody Castle and Fran Gaddi welcomed the Beattie family with a wooden crate filled with resources and information needed to easily connect to neighbours, organizations and businesses. The crate, which Castle pointed out was made by the people of Chestermere, also had some nice surprises in it including a beautiful potted plant from Garden Scents Garden Centre and a frozen pie from M&M Meats.
Castle says their aim is to provide care and connection points with new residents of Chestermere to create lasting neighbourhood change. “To date this box represents over 30 businesses in Chestermere and we are excited to see that number grow,” says Castle, “Our goal is for new residents to make the transition from strangers to neighbours quickly.”
“We already love this town and the small town feel that it has and I’m happy to leave the chaos of the city behind,” says Heather Beattie who adds that she noticed right away how connected the community is because of the number of people who gather together outdoors. “You don’t find that in the city, we love the outdoorsy, active lifestyle that Chestermere offers.”
Heather’s husband Chris Beattie says that he is happy to deal with the traffic jams in Chestermere compared to the ones he left behind in Calgary and since moving here he has discovered another added bonus that he had not counted on, “The stars shine brighter in Chestermere” says Chris.
For local businesses and other social groups looking to get involved, there are sponsorship opportunities as well as volunteer opportunities. The project encourages any resident of Chestermere to become a part of the volunteer group.
For more information on Mighty Neighbourly visit their website at www.mightyneighbourly.ca and make sure to ‘Like’ them on Facebook at ‘Mighty Neighbourly Chestermere’.
