After her daughter, Sophia Reagh, shared her age, 7 1/2, with a visitor, mom Renee Reagh couldn鈥檛 resist.

鈥淚鈥檓 22,鈥� she said, grinning.

鈥淵ou are not,鈥� an indignant Sophia declared.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e much older!鈥�

They were sharing a table with neighbour Bowen Tuckwood, eight, all decorating gourds for Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Willoughby Park picnic shelter as part of the 鈥楬i Neighbour Willoughby鈥� United Way initiative to bring people together.

There was a lot of laughing and joking going on among the 25 people who took part in the event.

Geraldine McManus, the United Way community builder contact, explained it was part of an ongoing effort to connect neighbours in Willoughby.

鈥淲e mean to bring neighbours together, [to] make connections, because we know that once neighbours feel connected to each other, and to where we live, we feel healthier, happier, and communities are safer,鈥� McManus told the 91原创 Advance Times.

In May, the initiative helped establish the first Little Free Pantry at the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, based on the tiny community library model, but with non-perishable food.

The church funded construction and hosts the pantry on its property at 20097 72nd Ave. A local Girl Guide group was awarded a 鈥淟ocal Love鈥� micro-grant to run a food drive to stock the pantry.

Hi Neighbour is looking for volunteer stewards to look after the pantry, with a time commitment of only one hour a month.

As well, Hi Neighbour is hosting a series of workshops, featuring local Indigenous artists, that focus on learning about native plants and their medicinal uses, doing traditional beading and cedar weaving, and learning how to make bannock.

A private Facebook page, 鈥溾�� which posts about pending community events, has close to 200 members.

People with skills to share, or volunteer ideas they would like to champion, can join the page, or contact McManus by email at GeraldineM@uwbc.ca or apply directly through .

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