Author: Deborah Castellanos
-
Finding Out if the Bus Still Runs
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall three years ago, watching a perfectly good neighborhood revitalization project fall apart simply because half the committee couldn’t figure out how to get to the evening meetings. We had the passion and… Continue reading
-
Power Outdoors Without Tripping Anyone
I remember the 2014 Summer Fête in St. Jude’s quite clearly; it wasn’t the heat or the lukewarm tea that ruined it, but the sudden, heavy silence when the kettle and the bouncy castle tried to draw from the same… Continue reading
-
Working Out How Many Toilets
I remember sitting in a damp community hall back in ’94, watching a well-meaning volunteer try to map out a temporary facility layout for a local festival. He had these glossy architectural brochures spread across a folding table, talking about… Continue reading
-
Trade Directories and What They Reveal
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall back in ’94, staring at a pile of glossy, expensive pamphlets that promised the world but delivered nothing but paper waste. We were trying to fix the community garden, but we were… Continue reading
-
Volunteering With Young People
I remember standing in a drafty church hall twenty years ago, surrounded by half-empty boxes of juice cartons and a group of well-meaning but utterly lost parents. Everyone was talking about “synergy” and “child development frameworks,” but nobody could tell… Continue reading
-
Making a Group Work for Shift Workers
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall back in ’94, staring at a row of empty folding chairs while the three of us present made a massive decision about the community garden. We felt productive, but looking back, we… Continue reading
-
Putting a Story Behind Every Name
I remember sitting in the damp basement of the parish hall three years ago, staring at a list of names on a crumbling stone plinth that felt more like a grocery list than a tribute. Most people think that learning… Continue reading
-
Setting Up a Postal Vote
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall three years ago, watching a perfectly good community initiative crumble simply because the chairperson couldn’t make it to the Tuesday night meeting. We spent forty minutes arguing about whether everyone had actually… Continue reading
-
Registering to Vote and the Id Rules
I remember sitting in a drafty community hall back in ’98, watching a perfectly good neighbourhood initiative crumble simply because the key players hadn’t even bothered to formalise their presence in the local elections. There is this persistent, exhausting myth… Continue reading
-
Applying for a Blue Badge
I remember sitting in a drafty church hall three years ago, watching Mrs. Gable stare at a pile of government forms like they were written in an ancient, undecipherable dialect. She wasn’t looking for a miracle; she just wanted to… Continue reading
