Sorriso. Osmijeh. ابْتِسَامَة. Glimlach. Ngiti. 微笑. Leende. ยิ้ม. Sourire.
Any way you write it, it means the same thing:
Smile.
For Abbotsford resident Kathryn, it’s also the fastest way to get to know someone.
“A smile is an immediate social interaction,” she says. “When I smile at someone, they will smile right back at me. You see their entire face brighten.”
It’s also happens to be her nickname.
“It’s true,” she laughs. “My nickname is ‘Smiley.’ What can I say? I love talking to people. How else are you going to get to know them?”
A retired nursing aide, Kathryn knows firsthand how communication and connection can build and sustain healthy communities.
Kathryn holds a past performance review. “Remembering the great stuff you’ve done helps you keep doing good things,” she says.
“It has always worried me that there are so many lonely elderly people. It’s a heartbreaking thing. I had so many great conversations with the residents I worked with. Their age or their illness was never the focus – I just treated them the same as I would anyone else.”
Taking the time to make new connections and meet new people is one of her favourite ways to interact with her community.
“I volunteer at a local thrift store here in town. All of the proceeds go to building backpacks for individuals who are homeless in our community. I really enjoy that, meeting all of the different people who come in.”
She credits her mother for inspiring and encouraging her to give back.
“My mom was a role model. She canvassed door-to-door for the Canadian Cancer Agency. She was that kind of person – very gentle, very helpful.”
Kathryn looking at the different letters she received and has saved from her mother.
It’s a trait that runs in other members of her family.
“My sister volunteers together with her daughters. They knit scarves and give them along with food bank donations. They live in Alberta, so a warm scarf goes a long way.”
Kathryn knows that no matter where you live, taking the time to reach out to someone is a common connector.
“I’ve ridden my motorcycle across Canada and the United States. Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve seen how stopping and speaking to someone is an opportunity to learn something new – whether about them or the place that they’re from.”
Loving the freedom that came with her wheels was one of the reasons she founded an all-women’s motorcycling club in 1992.
A photo of Kathryn in her riding days.
“I love motorcycles and I wanted other women to feel like they had a place. It’s a sport that can be dominated by men and speed and I wanted to make sure women who weren’t interested in those things had a place they felt safe and belonged.”
Now, no longer riding, she relishes the accessibility of her Abbotsford neighbourhood.
“I walk everywhere and I love it. It means that I get to see everything. I get to smell the flowers and appreciate the landscape. Whether it’s to Mill Lake and all along the boardwalk, uptown or downtown, I have a pedometer on my phone and I can do 10,000 steps. It’s such a nice way to experience community.”
Ease of convenience is a huge benefit to her every day and she encourages all communities to focus on making accessibility a priority for residents, and especially youth and older adults.
“You’re isolated otherwise. You live within yourself. Having no social contact with anyone is depressing. With kids, so many parents are working, school is out and nobody’s home. They need a safe place to go. Bringing people together – that’s the meeting point. It’s where the magic happens.”
It’s this knowledge that drives her to give back, in whatever ways she can.
“I believe in being generous with your money and donating to causes that speak to you. I donate because others need help. They can use the money or time spent. And I enjoy doing it.”
Kathryn holding her Acts of Local Love card decks. “I can’t wait to give them out on my walks,” she says.
Kathryn knows that sometimes it can be hard for individuals to see the change they can create in their own community.
“I know I’m not the only one, and that in our own way, we are making a difference.”
It’s what drives her to keep smiling.
“The greatest thing about giving back is the pleasure in knowing that whatever you’ve done has made a difference for somebody or someplace. You can make an impact as an individual. It’s the little things that matter.”
For decades Kathryn helped others as a nursing aide and made her community stronger with an all-women’s motorcycling club. Now she shows her local love volunteering at a local thrift store, donating to United Way, and sharing her smile with strangers as she walks about her neighbourhood.
May is Acts of Local Love Month. We are excited to be profiling individuals from across the Lower Mainland Fraser Valley who – just like Kathryn- show their local love every day. Kathryn is taking the 31-day Acts of Local Love Challenge. Will you join her?
Show your local love. Take part in the Acts of Local Love Challenge today.
Topics : Building strong communities, Local love
