The Federation of Calgary Communities launched the Faces of Community program in 2017 to highlight the many different faces of community volunteers making a difference in our city’s communities. Faces of Community helps tell the story of just some of the more than 20,000 community association volunteers in Calgary who are donating their time each and every day to help improve neighbourhood life in Calgary. Nominated by their peers, the twelve 2020 Faces of Community come from community organizations across the city, and all have different and inspiring stories of how they got involved, what they’re proud of, and what motivates them to stay involved. We are pleased to announce that our very own Jennifer Black from Crescent Heights is one of the Faces of Community for 2020.
Jennifer Black is a well-known name in the Crescent Heights Community Association (CHCA) and with no surprise. Her volunteer work with the community has been inspiring and selfless.
Her role on the board as engagement director has allowed her to make real change and improve many areas of the community. Her mission to make her community more inclusive, vibrant, colourful, more engaged with residents, and better connected with businesses has been successful and encouraging for others to see.
She has taken on a range of projects in her time with the CHCA, including the Children’s Chalk Festival, Winter Moon Festival, a street mural, new engagement policies, installing 25 new colourful bike racks, hosting a build-a-bench workshop, transforming communication during AGM’s, and much more.
Jennifer’s hard work within her community has made Crescent Heights a “more connected, safe, inclusive, and joyful place to be,” said her nominator.
Her volunteerism expands beyond her own community association as she prioritizes creating connections with other organizations and businesses in Crescent Heights. She has shown strength in community-building initiatives and has inspired and motivated members in her community to become more engaged and involved with projects. She has worked hard to help transform the membership program in order to make it more inclusive and welcoming and has seen the improvement it has brought into the community association.
“Volunteering with the community association has made a huge difference for me in my life,” said Jennifer.
“I’ve been able to gain new skills, take on new projects and learn to grow in many areas.”
