Hello stranger.

  Colin was in trouble. He was depressed. He was isolated. He spent his days and nights on social media, turning down invitations to visit friends. But a conversation a day changed Colin Easton’s life. In 2014, Colin talked to a stranger every day of the year and blogged about it. The compilation of posts became The Stranger Project and it turned Colin’s life around. His credo and guiding principle: if you want to change your life, change your life. His first conversation was with the binner outside of his apartment on New Year’s Day. Colin refutes Vancouver’s reputation of being an unfriendly city. “Everybody is looking at technology, headphones on, don’t talk to strangers, eyes down, don’t make eye contact,” explained Colin. “and what I’ve found through consciously going out to speak to strangers is that everybody actually does want to talk, and everybody wants more importantly to be heard.” Colin was a guest speaker at a United Way event for volunteers. Everybody was tasked with talking to a stranger, making a connection. We all share in the responsibility to create neighbourhoods that we are proud to call home. This is Colin’s way of stepping up. At United Way, we work to ensure children grow up with hope for the future, families feel a sense of belonging in their community, and that our neighbourhoods are safe and supportive places for everyone, no matter where you live, or where you’re from. “When you give to United Way, you are helping people right here in your community where you live, work, learn and play,” says Michael McKnight, President & CEO, United Way British Columbia. “We use our collective strength to maximize our donors’ dollars and multiply our impact to help build a better future for our community.” Follow Colin on Twitter and Facebook. #notastranger   Behind every changed life is someone who made it happen. Help build strong communities. Please give.