46. Highlights from the June 2024 Building Capacity Series in St. Thomas/Elgin
Have you ever attended a training session where:
you were asked to message a loved one you haven’t spoken to in a while?
you went around giving high-fives and hugs to others in attendance?
Well….I did!
And it is one of those sessions I won’t forget for a very long time.
In June 2024, the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce and the Elgin St. Thomas Community Foundation hosted their first Capacity Building Series event since the pandemic. This event was designed exclusively for charities and community builders in the area, and I’m proud to have been a part of it.
Back in January 2024, the planning team met to discuss what a revamped series would look like. We introduced a survey and received over 30 responses. A major theme emerged: the desire not just to learn, but to connect and engage with other changemakers in attendance.
And so, we got to work! Fast forward to June, and we hosted a successful event in a truly unique location—a brewery. We wanted to create a laid-back atmosphere that did not mimic the typical boardroom or classroom setting where many training events take place.
While I could share much more about what went on behind the scenes, I would like to focus on the key learnings from this event.
The theme of this event was “Building a compassionate and connected St. Thomas & Elgin where everyone thrives.” We had the pleasure of having Pete Bombaci, CEO of Genwell lead this session. Prior to Genwell, Pete led the team Movember Canada and they raised $140M over a five-year period.
Here are three insights from the session that stood out to me:
People who talk to strangers once a week are 3x happier than those who don’t.
People who connect with neighbours for 1-4 hrs/week are 3x less lonely.
Your relationship with colleagues are as important as your relationship with family (especially for immigrants like me whose families are overseas.)
No man is an island. These points remind me of the importance of connection and community, not just in my personal life, but in my professional one as well.
To learn more about the power of human connection, visit Genwell’s resources.
