“Here We’re at Home”

The support from the and Grand Beach, attending the Winnipeg Folk staff at WestEnd Commons offers tenants a rare Festival, Oak Hammock Marsh, the Children’s and much-needed sense of stability in one of the Museum, a lights tour in December, the Win- most crucial aspect of their lives — their homes. [...] Support Through Programming and Events Over the three years since WestEnd Com- The programs and community events at West- mons opened, tenants have become more in- End Commons are a key ingredient to facilitat- volved in organizing programming in the build- ing community and relationships between the ing, depending on the interests and skills of the tenants. [...] The Community Connector communi- tenants who lead the program acquired fund- cates events and programming to tenants through ing and instruments on their own in order to one-on-one conversations, monthly tenant meet- teach the children how to play various musical ings, a newsletter that all tenants receive, and a instruments, and the group has displayed their WestEnd Commons Facebook group set up [...] Just ‘cause of the energy have increased access to people’s lives, and that or the money or just like [I’m] too tense to take gives a deeper understanding of their needs, you to the park.” Now the child is able to play even if these needs haven’t been identified by independently with friends within the building the tenants themselves. [...] These supportive interactions physical safety, trauma and mental health, and occur on a daily basis at WestEnd Commons and impacts of the physical building on health and strengthen the fabric of the community.