Building Covid-19  awareness is an ongoing challenge for many groups.  Encouraging reflection about how we have adapted and changed to live with our new realities during a global pandemic here in our own neighbourhoods and communities is the purpose of the COVID Safe Pop Up Living Rooms. Social Development Centre has brough together two initiatives the Kitchener's Festival of Neighbourhoods and Covid Safe Pubilc Spaces to set up a site-specific pop up gatherings for a few hours within neighbourhoods that do not experience safety in many regards. We will practice the evolving COVID safe protocols and everyone can be as confident as possible that they are doing what they can to be protected from transmission, while unpacking deeper levels of what safety means to each of us. 

This is also an opportunity to for your community or neighbourhood to reflect upon changes and how to stay safe in public spaces. First stories are being recorded. Hear from Jimmy Swaka and his take on the community safety in times of the pandemic. 

To learn more about the project or to bring COVID-safe Living Room to your neighbourhood, contact Heather Majaury at heather@waterlooregion.org. 

Produced in partnership with Kitchener's Festival of Neighbourhoods (FON)! 

Do you want to experience a Living Room in your neighbourhood?

Mostly we want to visit with people and share stories by bringing our LIVING room into public or shared spaces to enjoy each other's company COVID safely. We installed our first LIVING room at a Bring on the Sunshine Activity Fun Day in August and it was a great time!  Community connector and Cofacilitator Curren Zhangazsha created a COVID obstacle course game based upon a well known Jamaican hopscotch activity that people really enjoyed. And it was a great way to share information. We were visited by a local nurse practitioner Maria who met with anyone participating in the fun day in our outdoor LIVING Room. Anyone visiting could decorate their own face masks that we were handing out for free. 
We made sure there was enough hand sanitizer for everyone who hung out in the LIVING Room.  Making sure we kept  two meters apart to socially distance effectively, we played games and activities that helped people get to know each other and learn from each other too!  Mostly we talked and shared stories about change and relationships so far during the pandemic. 

WATCH THE PRESENTATION OF THE FULL PROJECT!

Watch the video first screened at 28th FON Annual Celebration.