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Mayor launches Compassionate City website

Mayor launches Compassionate City website

Mayor launches Compassionate City website

Sendzik: we can all do our part

By Mike Zettel – Niagara This Week – St. Catharines

ST. CATHARINES — Mayor Walter Sendzik has taken the next step in his aim of making the City a more compassionate community.

Last week the St. Catharines mayor launched a Compassionate City website as a resource for citizens and businesses to find information and get involved in making St. Catharines a compassionate community. It comes on the heels of his State of the City address in which he spoke of using a “lens of compassion” in day-to-day life, and was part of his campaign commitment to address the issue of poverty and homelessness in St. Catharines.

“Poverty and homelessness are very real issues in our community.  Just this week we had volunteers out canvassing our streets to get a full understanding of the reality of homelessness and poverty in Niagara. There are many factors and there are no quick or easy solutions, but I believe we can all do our part to make our city a more compassionate place to live,” Sendzik said in a statement released last Friday..

Launched at his second State of the City address in January 2016, the Compassionate City concept developed from discussions at a national poverty reduction conference in 2015 and from conversations with local community leaders, service providers and individuals with lived experience.

“Compassion is about care plus action. Compassion, understanding and respect can have ripple effects from the way we talk to people, to the services we provide, to the discussions we have about solutions to poverty including public transit and affordable housing,” said Sendzik. “Through a lens of compassion we can work towards improving the quality of life for everyone in St. Catharines.”

Compassionatestc.ca is a platform to learn what a compassionate city is about, how you can get involved and learn about the services and resources available in the Compassionate City Guide. It is designed to be a space where citizens can share their ideas to help make St. Catharines a more engaged and compassionate community.

The platform will continue to grow and evolve with new ideas and information on priority issues including public transit, affordable housing and mental health care. Community groups and service agencies that would like to share information, resources or volunteer opportunities are encouraged to contact the Mayor’s Office.

For more information visit www.compassionatestc.ca.