By Solene Jollivet
Published June 2026
On April 11th 2026, we welcomed over 800 guests to celebrate the 37th Annual Mayors’ Dinner on the theme of Places of Belonging – The Heart of Inclusion. Set in the warmly lit Bingemans’ Mashall Hall with colourful flowers, plants and displays decorated throughout the space, we gathered to join in community and share stories.
Highlighted among us were three extraordinary individuals who encompass the values of the work they immerse themselves in daily: commitment to inclusion, resiliency during change, and offering a warm welcome to others.
Michele and Rob Way from Hockey Helps the Homeless have spent the last 13 years connecting hockey to community. Through their work, Hockey Helps the Homeless and their charity partners have supported countless individuals by not only funding emergency responses but investing in prevention, stability, dignity and pathways forward.
Oluseun Olayinka, Executive Director of Adventure4Change, has centered a core belief at the heart of her work: “Belonging is not a luxury, it is an infrastructure.” Having always seen herself creating spaces of safety and hope for children, youth and mothers, Oluseun has gone on to do exactly that in Waterloo Region through Adventure4Change programs welcoming families into community spaces, providing after-school programs to support youth and helping families navigate complex systems so that they are not alone.
The Working Centre also highlighted how Community Tools projects support inclusion and belonging, in particular the newly-reopened Queen Street Commons Café and Worth a Second Look Furniture and Houseware thrift store. Stories demonstrated the ways that community members engage in reciprocity with each other – giving to the community through opportunities of service.
The annual Mayors’ Dinner continues to serve as a reminder of the power of togetherness. As belonging grows scarce in communities that face systemic challenges, we must approach the work arm in arm so as not to leave anyone behind. We continue to be grateful for the support we receive for Working Centre projects, community members and the desire for change.
We look forward to gathering again next year, in April 2027, for the 38th Mayors’ Dinner.
