Lament, Courage, and Determined Hope
Rebecca Mancini
June 1, 2024
Presented by Rebecca Mancini & Greg Kennedy at the 35th Annual Mayors’ Dinner
Determined Hope
Rebecca Mancini
March 1, 2024
This year, the Mayors’ Dinner helps us to reflect on the importance of determined hopefulness in the face of despair. Determined hopefulness is not a gentle wish for the future, it is an intentional act to choose the kind of world that we want to live in. It will take courage and it will take care. Looking at the world around us, the need for courage is clear.
Remembering Our Friend Duff
Rebecca Mancini
March 1, 2019
If you have walked into the Queen Street Commons, you have likely seen, heard or met Duff. He was often perched at the window seats, his wiry frame full of contained energy and ready to move as soon as he saw someone to connect with. Our dear friend Duff died on December 29, 2018 and it is hard to comprehend our world without him.
Maurita’s Kitchen – The Spirit Behind Producing Food Together
Rebecca Mancini
June 1, 2017
In the lively hub that is the Queen Street Commons, the breadth of variety, the quantity and the quality of the food offerings often gets taken for granted, but in Maurita’s Kitchen it is part of the air we breathe. Every day we craft approximately 30 different recipes, making about 20-40 portions of each item and we make everything from raw ingredients, using very few shortcuts. The dishes range from soups and stews; to pizzas, salads and handheld goodies; to cakes and cookies.
Creating a Third Place Queen Street Commons Café
Rebecca Mancini
September 1, 2015
When you walk into the Queen Street Commons Café, it quickly becomes apparent that something feels different. It’s hard to put your finger on what the difference is but newcomers to the space often look around them in wonder, trying to figure it out. When you step back and take a look, there are a myriad of things going on – people clustered at tables while others sit at their laptops or read a book, always people moving about, a constant buzz of lively conversation, dishes clattering and music playing. Café regulars walk in with purpose, greetings for those around them and the confidence of knowing that they belong and are welcomed. Each of these pieces form a strand of the complex web that is the Queen Street Commons Café, creating a space that is as intricate, delicate and strong as a spiders web.
Following Details in the Life World
Rebecca Mancini
June 2, 2015
In a recent gathering of people who work with the Community Tools projects, we reflected on the role of details in our work. Leading the discussion, Kayli noted that details form the tapestry of our projects and we are the weavers – intertwining the details in both a relational and practical way that accomplishes the daily work while building involvement and inclusion. In the Community Tools projects, the idea of following details seems like a background concept to the importance of welcoming people but as Kayli led us through the conversation, it became obvious that it is by following the details that we provide hospitality for people and open up new pathways for more people to join in the projects.
The Queen Street Commons Café: A Place of Conversation
Rebecca Mancini
June 1, 2013
The Queen Street Commons Café is a place of conversation. It happens as people meet others accidentally or purposefully – over shared coffee and lunch, in the moment of placing their orders or serving food, while waiting in line, clearing tables or hanging out at the Coffee Bar. It is a conversation that happens through an invitation to play cards, a recommendation to try someone else’s favourite dessert, the gift of music played on the piano or a quick comment across tables. It is a conversation that comes from the sense of comfort, familiarity and welcome that people extend to each other.
Women and Bikes Project Adds to Growing Exchange
Rebecca Mancini
September 1, 2007
It was a fine June day and as the bicycles were lined up, the six women were raring to go. A determined group, these women were taking on the challenge of a race stretching about 10 km in total. Riding straight and hard for one hour over dirt roads filled with holes and mud puddles, the women arrived back tired but triumphant. It was the first time in Ugunja, Kenya that women had raced on the Ugunja roads and highways. They were sure to have attracted attention as they were making history. Two days later, people of all ages gathered in Waterloo, Canada to join in a parallel friendly ride to Kitchener, celebrating the partnership between The Working Centre and The Ugunja Community Resource Centre (UCRC). It is a partnership that has grown through exchanges of people and ideas.
