Lorie Fiddler

Community: Profession:

Name Lorie Fiddler

Your Story I am a mother of three grown children and 7 grandchildren. I have lived in Selkirk Manitoba for 38 years. I have been working in the Childcare Field for 40 years.I am also a Councillor in the City of Selkirk.

Where are you from ? I grew up in Petersfield Manitoba

Where do you live now? I live in Selkirk Manitoba

Where do you work? What do they provide and what is your role? I am the Director of Selkirk Friendship Centre Daycare. I look after our childcare programs. I work with the children do the administration and care for the staff.

How did you end up working where you do now? I have always enjoyed working with children. I started in the field right out of high school. When the Friendship Centre advertised a position, I was so excited to apply.

Where do you volunteer? I am the chair of Growing Years Family Resource Centre. I teach Sunday School at St. Clements Sunday School. I am on the board of the Soup Kitchen.I am on the 55 plus games committee. I am also on the board of the Selkirk Curling Club.

How did you find yourself as a volunteering there? I am so interested in many things in the community. When people ask me to help, I try to step up.

What does your volunteering provide? I hope that I am helpful to the organizations I work on.

What does a community mean to you? Community is so important. Its the people and how they feel connected to each other that builds community. I am a strong believer in building connections and making sure that people have a sense of belonging and pride.

What community are you apart of ? I am a part of many communities. Of course Selkirk, but also the childcare community, outdoor sports and the organizations that I serve on.

Who else is involved in your community? I feel like Selkirk is a strong community of many. We have a strong volunteer base of people that work to make our community better.

How does everyone work together within your community? I think we have strong and helpful people. We have an active base of Seniors that work on a lot of the committees that I work on. We have youth that volunteer at many of our events and every age in between.

What are the challenges your community faces? Our community has many challenges. There is a high incidence of drug addiction and crime related to that. We have many people who live on meagre earnings. Many of the families I provide care for struggle financially. We don't have enough affordable housing.

What do you think is the impact of your community? What do they offer to others or those involved? My community has so much to offer. The Friendship Centre is a great example of the Selkirk Community. There are so many resources just through that organization. Our city offers a lot of activities to engage the community. We do have some organizations that help marginalized people. For example, our RAM clinic to help with people with addictions, our food bank and soup kitchen and community garden to help with food security. We have some free options for recreation, like our park trails and playgrounds. The Selkirk Heritage committee helps to create awareness around culture and history. These are a few examples close to my heart. There are many more.

What is something you would like to create in your community or group? I would love to work on a housing strategy to help low income families and individuals have a safe place to live. I would also like to work on prevention for drug addiction.

What is your biggest reason for being apart of your community? I feel if we all contribute our best gifts we will be stronger.

What has been the best outcome of your community? do you have a success story you'd like to share? I feel that we have great community engagement. One thing I am proud of is the snowshoe program that I am part of. One of our youth secured funding for snowshoes to lend to community. I invite our youth and other citizens to join us for snowshoeing. I usually lead the group. We get to know the trails, get exercise and meet new people. If someone wants to try out the sport before buying ( or can't buy) they still have access to free recreation. It has been a hit!

How has your involvement or work in the community changed you? How are your a different person now because of it? I have more enthusiasm for creating community, the more I see what a difference it makes. I am proud of Selkirk and proud of my contributions.

What are some of the lessons you have learned? To quote a movie " If you build it , they will come" When people have an opportunity to be involved they often are.

Why do you want to share your community? What do you feel its is important to let others know? I think sometimes Selkirk gets a bad rap. We need people to realize that most people and places are safe, positive and inclusive.

What is one thing you really want others to know about your community or group? Selkirk is a strong and vibrant community. I would like people to know that its a great place to live and work. We are close to so many beautiful natural sites. Our parks and playgrounds are beautiful. We are on the Red River and close to both lakes. The citizens of Selkirk get involved!