Original Recording Date October 1st 2015

Guests: Emily (GCHC placement student) and Dorota (long-time Brant volunteer)

This was the inaugural recording at the Brant Avenue Neighbourhood (“Friendship”) Space.  I went in not knowing anyone, and lucky for me Dorota came right up to me and volunteered to be my first radio guest.  Emily had just started her term at Brant Avenue as a student intern, and was excited to see what the radio was all about.  They were a great pair of first-guests, one a long-time resident of the neighbourhood and neighbourhood space volunteer, and one brand new and as keen as myself to find out what the community is all about.  They did a fantastic job of making me feel welcome, and boosting my enthusiasm in getting to know the other folks that frequent the space.  Our conversation gave me a strong sense of the amazing tight-and circular way this community operates – there is no separation between the efforts of the volunteers and the members of the community who benefit from the various programs, they are the same folks, everyone contributing in areas they have skills, and benefiting in other areas.  This approach to community would become a theme that comes up a lot in my future conversations.