FEBRUARY 3, 2015 / Legacy Project / For weeks now, young and old in Whitchurch-Stouffville have been knitting dozens of Orange Scarves of Caring. The scarves will be on display in a yarnstorming in downtown Stouffville the week before Valentine's Day. Schools, businesses, and organizations are "going orange." The orange scarves will then be given out at a special ceremony as part of a WS YOU 177 Community Caring Celebration on February 21. The whole town is invited to attend, and to nominate people you know who deserve an Orange Scarf of Caring.
"This Valentine's Day, there's a new red in town," says Susan Bosak, who heads the Legacy Project that's part of the WS YOU 177 collaborative. "Orange scarves, handmade with love and care by all ages in the community, are a hug you can wear. As Whitchurch-Stouffville grows, they're a symbol of working together to knit a strong community and keep that small-town feeling of caring."
Do you know someone who deserves to be "scarfed?" A scarfing is a surprise gift – from the community to the community – of a YOU 177 Orange Scarf of Caring to someone helping create a caring community OR to someone who might be able to use a little extra caring. You can make nominations at www.wsyou177.org, or at the WS Public Library or participating downtown Stouffville businesses, including Ann's Fabrics & Sewing Center, Candlelight & Memories, Chic Thrills, The Hearty Artichoke, Moonflowers Magical Touch, Stouffville Florist.
"Amazing nominations are coming in," says Bosak. "There are long-time community leaders, but also ordinary people who do simple acts of caring to make our community better."
It all starts with a yarnstorming in downtown Stouffville the week of Valentine's Day. You'll find orange scarves on trees and in downtown businesses – check out Main Street by CIBC and in front of 19 on the Park – as well as the Tim Hortons/McDonald's corner. Take a walk to enjoy the spectacle, honk as you drive by to show you care, take photos of what promises to be a striking artistic creation, and tell all your friends. Special thanks to Uxbridge Tree Service for donating time and equipment to help with the yarnstorming. They care!
Then the Orange Scarf Ceremony takes place as part of the Community Caring Celebration on Saturday, February 21, 1:30-4:00 pm at the Stouffville Legion Hall. It's all about celebrating what caring is, and what we care about as a community. Wear orange! There will be inspirational presentations and music, an appetizer tasting courtesy of an accomplished local restaurateur, and the unveiling of the WS Community Mural.
The Community Caring Celebration is part of WS YOU 177 in partnership with the WS Public Library, Parkview Services for Seniors, Stouffville Creek, and the WS Food Bank.
WS YOU 177 is a broad-based community collaborative that includes the WS Public Library, Legacy Project,
local media, service clubs, faith-based groups, schools and seniors groups. It's been made possible through grants from United Way York Region and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
YOU 177 is an intergenerational innovation initiative that empowers YOU to make a difference in a big-picture context – 1 World with 7 Generations and 7 Billion People. New community connections will lead to innovative community action projects in support of youth, seniors, and families.
Find out more about who has received a WS YOU 177 Orange Scarf of Caring.
Nominate someone deserving of a WS YOU 177 Orange Scarf of Caring AND reserve your seat at the Community Caring Celebration on Saturday, February 21, 1:30–4:00 pm, Stouffville Legion Hall, 150 Mostar Street. Visit www.wsyou177.org or call (905) 852-3777. |
