Observing the community and conducting a needs assessment were the order of the day during the Longdenville’s Walk held in June. 5 women and 2 men took part in the activity.

The Inclusive Cities, Communities of Solidarity (ICCS) project and the Freely Give Foundation partnered to conduct a community appreciation exercise and to ascertain the various needs of the Longdenville community members.

Regarding the community appreciation exercise, participants stated that the walk was long, but very beneficial. A preference for an earlier start time was noted, but given the exposure to the sun and the heat, it was understood why the particular time was selected. Additionally, participants recognized the plentiful resources available (e.g. open spaces, green areas, businesses) that were in proximity and easy to access, while also highlighting the need for other places to be maintained and/or rehabilitated. They also mentioned that length of sidewalks were aspects noted for improvement.

The Longdenville Walk was composed of the ICCS community appreciation exercise (based on the Jane’s Walk principle, which is a series of free neighborhood walking, biking, and transit tours that help put people in touch with their environment and with the people who live in their community) and, on this occasion, was coupled with the Freely Give Foundation’s needs assessment exercise. After conducting the activity in the community, participants returned to the Family Intervention Centre to discuss their observations and exchange ideas.