Building Resilient Neighbourhoods: Strengthening Community Connections Through Connect & Prepare

What you can expect:

Strong neighbour-to-neighbour relationships are a critical foundation for community resilience, emergency preparedness, and resident well-being. In this webinar, Building Resilient Neighbourhoods (BRN) will introduce the Connect & Prepare program and share how nonprofit housing providers can build stronger, more connected communities while enhancing preparedness for emergencies and climate-related events.

Participants will learn about the benefits of participating in BRN initiatives, practical approaches for engaging residents, and opportunities to partner with BRN and local community-based organizations to bring this work into their housing communities. The session will also highlight implementation considerations, including program costs, staffing and resource requirements, available funding opportunities, and other supports that can help organizations get started. Real-world examples from nonprofit housing providers will showcase how neighbour-to-neighbour approaches can strengthen social connections, increase preparedness, and support resident resilience.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the goals and benefits of the Building Resilient Neighbourhoods and Connect & Prepare programs.
• Identify opportunities to partner with BRN   and local community-based organizations to deliver resilience and preparedness initiatives in housing communities.
• Explore practical strategies for engaging residents in neighbour-to-neighbour preparedness and community-building activities.
• Understand the resources, costs, and organizational commitments required to implement the program.
• Learn about funding opportunities and other supports available to help housing providers participate.
• Gain insights from housing providers and residents who have experience delivering and participating in the program.

Panelists Include:

Stacy Barter, Executive Director, Building Resilient Neighbourhoods

Stacy Barter (she/her) is the Executive Director of Building Resilient Neighbourhoods, a non-profit organization focused on building community resilience through strengthening neighbourly connections, and the Co-Director of Hey Neighbour Collective, a multi-partner collective focused on building social connectedness and resilience in multi-unit housing across BC.  In addition to these roles, she supports a broad range of social innovation initiatives as a co-founder and consultant with SHIFT Collaborative. Stacy is a serial community builder who has spent over 25 years as a community developer and engagement specialist. She grew up in BC with strong roots in the Kootenays, and now lives  as a settler on the traditional unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) peoples, known today as the Songhees and Esquimalt (Xwsepsum) Nations.