Happy New Year Hawkwood!
Welcome to 2025! I extend my best wishes to everyone for a year filled with gratitude, joy, kindness, and peace along with the strength to address, accept or forgive the challenges that may come our way this year.
The theme for this month’s column is community connection. As many of you know, the core purpose of the HCA is to build a stronger community by providing gathering places and offering programs and events while being respectful, inclusive, and welcoming.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to assess how we are doing at achieving our purpose as today’s digital communication tools lack a direct human to human connection. Recently, I was humbled and moved to hear directly from some community members who attended HCA’s November Annual General Meeting about new connections they made through HCA’s initiatives. Following is a snippet of what I heard:
• HCA’s Soccer Director, Tricia, shared how her parents, who don’t live in Hawkwood, make a point of attending HCA’s events and have commented on what a great community we have. Through her role, Tricia has also met moms who love soccer, so they meet up to play together on nights the kids do not play during the soccer season.
• I chatted with two gentlemen who met when they joined HCA’s Pickleball Group and now meet up regularly off the courts.
• One gentleman spoke very eloquently about how sharing his story for the Remembrance Day memorial, installed at the Hawkwood Community Park, had a significant impact on him, and how he met a Hawkwood resident at the park, leading to a new connection through their shared experiences. He has offered to work with our Facility and Program Coordinator, Alex, on new ideas for next year’s memorial.
• A gentleman, who just moved to Hawkwood in October, shared his initial reflections about our beautiful and safe community, and has since bought a membership with plans to get more involved in the HCA.
If these stories resonated with you and you have an interest in building a stronger Hawkwood community, I invite you to reach out so we can find a time to chat about the HCA (email me at [email protected]). Our Board currently has vacancies to fill, and the beginning of the year is a great time to join us. I hope to hear from you soon!
In gratitude and kindness,
Michele del Valle
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