Our Big News: Embracing Possibility, Enriching Community
Friends and Supporters,
After months of consultation, discussion, and planning, we are finally ready to share with you our exciting news: Facile Waterloo Region is adopting a new name and brand that speaks to our work and vision for our community.
Our new motto is Embracing Possibility – Enriching Community.
In 2010, we launched under the name of Facile: Independent Facilitation Waterloo Region. (As Independent Facilitators, we “make it easy.”) While the name has served us well for nearly six years, we’ve heard that a new name could more accurately speak to our vision: a Waterloo Region where everyone belongs.
Our name:
Our new name was selected by our Steering Committee with the support of our Strategic Planning Consultant, Sarah Marsh. Through consultation with the people and families we serve and the wider community, we’ve heard loud and clear that Bridges to Belonging is a name that will represent us – and inspire us.
The bridge is an important concept in our work. Sometimes the path ahead isn’t clear, and barriers get in our way. A bridge can help us find a path above the barriers. Our work often helps people to find their way over barriers to connect with and share their gifts with the community.
Belonging has become an increasingly important concept in our work. While inclusion remains one of our core values, belonging has been taking on increasing importance. Inclusion is an invitation and a welcome – but being invited and included may still not bring with it a feeling of belonging. When someone belongs, they are not just included, they are also part of something. Their gifts and presence are valued, their contributions welcomed and honoured, leading to a strong sense of belonging.
The logo:
Our new logo was developed by the Lesley Warren Design Group.
While retaining our dark blue and light blue colour scheme, we have added a yellow sun, symbolizing a new beginning. The bridge is a path towards something, but it is not empty – a diverse group of people are connected, forming the trusses of the bridge. Our work is not done in isolation; like the people on the bridge, we need our whole community to work together to build bridges to belonging.
Bridges to Belonging is active. It’s visual. And it speaks to the change we seek in the community. It represents an organization that is broader than Independent Facilitation. When we first launched, we were an organization based around a service. Today, we’re an organization based around a purpose – to create a community where everyone belongs. Independent Facilitation remains the core of our work, but our vision includes a future Community Advocacy campaign, a caregiver support group, and the creation and sharing of new resources and ideas.
While it may seem like everything is new with us, our commitment to our work and serving our community remains the same. We hope you will continue to engage with and support us. You can:
- click here to sign up for our newsletter;
- find us at our new website, bridgestobelonging.ca;
- like our Facebook page, facebook.com/BtoBelonging;
- and follow our Twitter account, twitter.com/BtoBelonging.
This is an exciting moment in the history of our organization! We want to thank everyone who has helped and contributed to this journey so far, and hope you will continue to support our new organization, Bridges to Belonging.
In Inclusion,
Amy Fee
Chair, Board of Directors
Cameron Dearlove
Executive Director
Click here to download a pdf copy of this letter.