By Karin Kliewar and Suzanne Galloway
Published December 1999
For the past three weeks the third floor of the Working Centre has been electrified by the energy and daily activity of the “Tools for Living” (TFL) group. This is a consensus-based youth-run project that is working in conjunction with the organization and planning of the new building at 43 Queen Street. What are the aims of the “Tools for Living” Project? We asked the fifteen local youth (aged 18-28) who are currently working on this six month Youth Services Canada project, and here are some of the responses they came up with:
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To channel our passions toward positive and creative outcomes…
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To create an open, accessible, welcoming community meeting space…
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To provide access to holistic tools supported & sustained by the care, work and interest of the community…
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To work with patience, respect, commitment and FUN!
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To build trust within our group and bring this to the larger community…
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To promote play, practical growth and social interaction…
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To develop new skills that will meet every day needs…
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To reduce our reliance on the monetary economy…
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To drop our boundaries, expose ourselves, and accept challenges…
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And, of course, to share good food!
The TFL group will be helping to co-ordinate four aspects of the new building: BarterWorks, Recycle Cycles, an Arts & Tools Centre/Retail Space, and a Resource Library/Rea Room. The aim is to help create a vibrant urban meeting space in the downtown Kitchener core, where all folks are welcome and a variety of practical “tools” are available. The wide range of experiences, interests, skills, and passions of the TFL group will help jump-start this project, but it will be sustained by the care and efforts of those who use the centre. A public launch of the new building will occur in the New Year… see you there!
