Community Connections: a Compassionate Communities Kingston podcast Fri, 08 May 2026 16:06:08 -0400 https://compassionatekingston.buzzsprout.com en-us © 2026 Community Connections: a Compassionate Communities Kingston podcast yes fac30cad-52b5-5f65-be70-bcf544114572 nanci@c3inc.ca Nanci episodic false Compassionate Communities Kingston was founded in 2017 to bring the global compassionate communities movement to Kingston. We are inspiring intergenerational compassion in our communities by providing older adults with knowledge, connection and support  -- promoting vitality purpose and a sense of wellbeing.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Nanci nanci@c3inc.ca https://storage.buzzsprout.com/ati1alje2d5kf9k4qvy6hagh3co9?.jpg Community Connections: a Compassionate Communities Kingston podcast Nanci Corrigan Active Living at the Seniors Centre: a conversation with Executive Director Don Amos Active Living at the Seniors Centre: a conversation with Executive Director Don Amos "We're built on four pillars as an organization and the key pillar is socialization. When retirement hits, often people will say, oh, I've got this great bucket list. And often people will plow through it in the first year, then sometimes the couch turns into your friend.  The TV turns into your friend, and then you become a little bit more sedentary, and that's when it becomes dangerous for your health. And so that's why the social component for us is so important."

-Don Amos, Executive Director, Seniors Association in Kingston

The Seniors Association in Kingston is a not-for-profit, charitable volunteer run organization dedicated to keeping seniors active, involved, connected, and supported. Members can choose from over 250 engaging and stimulating programs, both at the centre on Francis Street in Kingston, but also through online courses and a phone from home program. 

]]> "We're built on four pillars as an organization and the key pillar is socialization. When retirement hits, often people will say, oh, I've got this great bucket list. And often people will plow through it in the first year, then sometimes the couch turns into your friend.  The TV turns into your friend, and then you become a little bit more sedentary, and that's when it becomes dangerous for your health. And so that's why the social component for us is so important."

-Don Amos, Executive Director, Seniors Association in Kingston

The Seniors Association in Kingston is a not-for-profit, charitable volunteer run organization dedicated to keeping seniors active, involved, connected, and supported. Members can choose from over 250 engaging and stimulating programs, both at the centre on Francis Street in Kingston, but also through online courses and a phone from home program. 

]]> Nanci Corrigan Buzzsprout-19147535 Fri, 08 May 2026 16:00:00 -0400 862 seniors, compassionate communities, compassion, elders, active living, social isolation 1 7 full false It takes a village: a conversation with Laurie French, President of Providence Village It takes a village: a conversation with Laurie French, President of Providence Village "How do we connect care and services and support to people? How do we consolidate care in one place? How do we remove those barriers for agencies to work together? 

I think that really is the beauty of the village. So a caregiver, for example, could be taking advantage of a program while their loved one is receiving services at a different space in the building. We're already seeing the collaboration between the partnerships. They're volunteering in each other's programs. They're doing outdoor gardening activities together."

Providence Village is a new community of partners providing care and services to support the health and wellness needs of people living in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington. Guided by the values of compassion, integrity, and inclusion, Providence Village is a safe and inclusive space where individuals and families can find hope, belonging, and wellbeing. 

We had a conversation with Laurie French, the President and CEO of Providence Village to talk about the initiative and the vision of the Sisters of Providence. Laurie began her career as a registered nurse before transitioning to roles in healthcare management. Today she leads strategic development, capital projects, and partner engagement for the Village. 

]]> "How do we connect care and services and support to people? How do we consolidate care in one place? How do we remove those barriers for agencies to work together? 

I think that really is the beauty of the village. So a caregiver, for example, could be taking advantage of a program while their loved one is receiving services at a different space in the building. We're already seeing the collaboration between the partnerships. They're volunteering in each other's programs. They're doing outdoor gardening activities together."

Providence Village is a new community of partners providing care and services to support the health and wellness needs of people living in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington. Guided by the values of compassion, integrity, and inclusion, Providence Village is a safe and inclusive space where individuals and families can find hope, belonging, and wellbeing. 

We had a conversation with Laurie French, the President and CEO of Providence Village to talk about the initiative and the vision of the Sisters of Providence. Laurie began her career as a registered nurse before transitioning to roles in healthcare management. Today she leads strategic development, capital projects, and partner engagement for the Village. 

]]> Nanci Corrigan Buzzsprout-19093870 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:00:00 -0400 1094 compassionate communities, compassion, palliative care, community support, non-profit 1 6 full false Libraries as a 'third' space in our community: a conversation with KFPL Programming/Outreach Manager Liz Coates Libraries as a 'third' space in our community: a conversation with KFPL Programming/Outreach Manager Liz Coates The 'third space' is often defined as that social environment separate from home (first space) and work (second space). Examples include libraries, gyms and cafes.

"We're a third space in the community, where everyone is welcome to come no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter your life circumstances, you're welcome. You can stay as long as you want. It's like a community living room."

Liz Coates is the Manager of Programming and Outreach at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. She is passionate about literacy, inclusion, and the role that public libraries play in helping people feel connected and supportive. 


]]> The 'third space' is often defined as that social environment separate from home (first space) and work (second space). Examples include libraries, gyms and cafes.

"We're a third space in the community, where everyone is welcome to come no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter your life circumstances, you're welcome. You can stay as long as you want. It's like a community living room."

Liz Coates is the Manager of Programming and Outreach at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. She is passionate about literacy, inclusion, and the role that public libraries play in helping people feel connected and supportive. 


]]> Nanci Corrigan Buzzsprout-18992017 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:00:00 -0400 757 libraries, compassionate communities, compassion, connections, talking cafes, seniors 1 5 full false Creating community for older adults: a conversation with Community Development Worker Spencer Lanthier Creating community for older adults: a conversation with Community Development Worker Spencer Lanthier "The Older Adults Hub is bringing in as many programs and providers as possible into one space, and truly creating a community space where people can come and access multiple services and attend multiple programs all at one time. It's bringing people together and giving them an opportunity to share their stories and get to know each other."

Spencer Lanthier is a Community Development Worker with the Kingston Community Health Centre. He, along with the Community Development Team at KCHC, work alongside the Rideau Heights community to develop accessible programs and events for people of all ages, including an Older Adults Hub.

]]> "The Older Adults Hub is bringing in as many programs and providers as possible into one space, and truly creating a community space where people can come and access multiple services and attend multiple programs all at one time. It's bringing people together and giving them an opportunity to share their stories and get to know each other."

Spencer Lanthier is a Community Development Worker with the Kingston Community Health Centre. He, along with the Community Development Team at KCHC, work alongside the Rideau Heights community to develop accessible programs and events for people of all ages, including an Older Adults Hub.

]]> Nanci Buzzsprout-18746656 Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0500 1127 compassionate communities, older adults, compassion, social isolation, community 1 4 full false Creating a compassionate city: a conversation with City of Kingston's Ruth Noordegraaf Creating a compassionate city: a conversation with City of Kingston's Ruth Noordegraaf "I think we're really trying to create and strengthen the nervous system of our community through programming and access and services, balancing bigger systems change work with more smaller scale pilot projects in neighbourhoods or with certain community groups. And ultimately those two things at the same time  will really help to make our community more connected and more resilient." 

Ruth Noordegraaf is the Director of Community Development Wellbeing and IIDEA with the City of Kingston. Her portfolio includes areas such as food security, aging, community safety, neighbourhood activation, equity, diversity, and Indigenous initiatives. 

Ruth's work focuses primarily on the system-wide social issues that communities in Canada are facing and the preventative actions municipalities can take in building and fostering the social infrastructure. She is passionate about building communities where everyone belongs and feels safe, healthy, and connected. 

]]> "I think we're really trying to create and strengthen the nervous system of our community through programming and access and services, balancing bigger systems change work with more smaller scale pilot projects in neighbourhoods or with certain community groups. And ultimately those two things at the same time  will really help to make our community more connected and more resilient." 

Ruth Noordegraaf is the Director of Community Development Wellbeing and IIDEA with the City of Kingston. Her portfolio includes areas such as food security, aging, community safety, neighbourhood activation, equity, diversity, and Indigenous initiatives. 

Ruth's work focuses primarily on the system-wide social issues that communities in Canada are facing and the preventative actions municipalities can take in building and fostering the social infrastructure. She is passionate about building communities where everyone belongs and feels safe, healthy, and connected. 

]]> Nanci Corrigan Buzzsprout-18238973 Sun, 23 Nov 2025 13:00:00 -0500 1059 compassion, city planning, aging well, neighbourhoods, social prescribing, community, culture, advance care planning, loneliness, social isolation 1 3 full false Connecting beyond medicine: a conversation with paramedics Alisha Scott and Veronica Trottier Connecting beyond medicine: a conversation with paramedics Alisha Scott and Veronica Trottier "More people are staying home. They don't want to go into nursing homes or retirement homes. And the push is to keep people at home. But in doing so, you got the adverse effect of people being isolated. They can't get out anymore. They just lose those connections So we try to get to the people that are in their home, We're going in, we're connecting them with services and minding that gap a little bit."

Alicia Scott is an advanced care paramedic with over 20 years of experience in Kingston, Pembroke, Petawawa, Fort Saskatchewan, and Edmonton. Along with responding to emergencies within the community, she's also the co-chair of the peer support team. 

Veronica Trottier has been a primary care paramedic for 23 years, and a community paramedic for the last four years, a role that has her connecting with people and helping them in a whole new way. 

Learn more about Compassionate Communities Kingston: compassionatekingston.ca

]]> "More people are staying home. They don't want to go into nursing homes or retirement homes. And the push is to keep people at home. But in doing so, you got the adverse effect of people being isolated. They can't get out anymore. They just lose those connections So we try to get to the people that are in their home, We're going in, we're connecting them with services and minding that gap a little bit."

Alicia Scott is an advanced care paramedic with over 20 years of experience in Kingston, Pembroke, Petawawa, Fort Saskatchewan, and Edmonton. Along with responding to emergencies within the community, she's also the co-chair of the peer support team. 

Veronica Trottier has been a primary care paramedic for 23 years, and a community paramedic for the last four years, a role that has her connecting with people and helping them in a whole new way. 

Learn more about Compassionate Communities Kingston: compassionatekingston.ca

]]> Nanci Corrigan Buzzsprout-18238865 Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0500 1106 compassion, social prescribing, paramedics, paramedicine, community, culture, advance care planning, loneliness, social isolation 1 2 full false Creating community connections: a conversation with CCKC founder Florence Campbell Creating community connections: a conversation with CCKC founder Florence Campbell "How can we work for toward an even more connected community neighbourhood by neighbourhood? Ultimately this would mean increased capacity for all of us to care for each other in a very supportive way so that we're not just relying on government and the healthcare system. Our goal is to have a much more knowledgeable community where together we can find support services when we need them." 

Florence Campbell has a long and outstanding history in community service, along with a career in senior roles at Queen's University, IBM and the Conference Board of Canada. 

Florence has served as the president of the Community Foundation and on the boards of the KFL&A Public Health, Kingston General Hospital, and the Southeast Local Health Integration Network. In 2017, she founded Compassionate Communities Kingston, Canada to bring this international movement to Kingston. Florence is the recipient of both the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal and the Ontario Medical Association Community Service Award. 

Learn more about Compassionate Communities Kingston at:  compassionatekingston.ca

]]> "How can we work for toward an even more connected community neighbourhood by neighbourhood? Ultimately this would mean increased capacity for all of us to care for each other in a very supportive way so that we're not just relying on government and the healthcare system. Our goal is to have a much more knowledgeable community where together we can find support services when we need them." 

Florence Campbell has a long and outstanding history in community service, along with a career in senior roles at Queen's University, IBM and the Conference Board of Canada. 

Florence has served as the president of the Community Foundation and on the boards of the KFL&A Public Health, Kingston General Hospital, and the Southeast Local Health Integration Network. In 2017, she founded Compassionate Communities Kingston, Canada to bring this international movement to Kingston. Florence is the recipient of both the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal and the Ontario Medical Association Community Service Award. 

Learn more about Compassionate Communities Kingston at:  compassionatekingston.ca

]]> Nanci Corrigan Buzzsprout-18238780 Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0500 981 compassion, social prescribing, community, culture, advance care planning, loneliness, social isolation 1 1 full false