Our Story

Growing the Hub

Escape for a moment from the hustle and bustle of the city to the quiet French countryside and beautiful forest and to the story of a famous shepherd named Elzéard Bouffier. He was the decorated French citizen who restored an isolated and abandoned valley in the early 1900s, by repopulating it with trees over a period of four decades. Each day, while tending his sheep, Elzéard would dig holes in the ground using his shepherd’s staff, dropping in acorns he had collected some distance away. The valley grew into an amazing forest full of life, and where more than 10,000 people moved into, all owing their happiness to Bouffier.

 

But wait, come back to the city! A similar story is being told here. It’s about a group of people with a dream of making a collective impact in an isolated and under-served community. Since 2012 – like Bouffier – they too have been digging holes, dropping multiple seeds into the ground with a view to growing collaborative social and health services for local residents. This young plant – called the Rexdale Community Hub – is being cultivated to become a truly welcoming space for hundreds of citizens, and is growing towards enriching every aspect of community life through its collaborative services and programs.

Partner with us and become a world changer at the Rexdale Community Hub!