Leo O’Brien is a community advocate in the Heart Lake community of Brampton and the administrator for Heart Lake Happenings, an on-line community Facebook group that has over 4,000 subscribers. Leo also looks for ways he can give back to his community. Enter the Eco Heart Lake Community Outreach Project.
Last year, Leo was asked by a neighbouring mom if he knew of an any place that her 18 year old son, (who’s on the spectrum), could find paid work where he would also be in a supportive environment. Before retiring, Leo had experience in working with “at-risk” youth. He knew he had the requisite skills and wanted to help. He also had a few hundred dollars in community donations that could be used to create a small, part-time job. So, starting with a few days last summer, Leo walked alongside his neighbour’s son as they delivered 425 flyers throughout their subdivision, promoting the City Of Brampton’s new Affiliated Neighbourhood Association program.
The initial success of the project led other neighbourhood parents with special needs teens to ask Leo if he could help their kids as well. Leo’s limited funds were quickly running out. Another neighbour family, Gunjan and Sumit Sharda, owners of Sharda Group Realtors offered to help. They had business flyers they wanted delivered and were prepared to pay the going rate of $0.14 per delivered flyer. The project expanded to include two neighbourhoods, two businesses, and over 500 flyers for each drop. Everyone was happy. Both Gunjan and her husband Sumit liked the idea that they were giving these young adults a chance to be employed.
In January of this year Leo, who is a BEA member, approached the BEA for assistance to make the project more “official”, allowing the project to grow while addressing liability risks and increasing community awareness of environmental issues in Brampton. The BEA worked with Leo to “hire” the youth as community outreach workers and designate Leo as a volunteer “Eco Heart Lake Community Outreach” Project Manger.
Leo and the BEA are collaborating with the Sharda Group to include environmental information and events in their flyers, while promoting local businesses and providing valuable insights on the local real estate market. Dubbed the Eco Heart Lake Community Outreach Project, the team has grown to 9 members, including 7 young adults and a volunteer project assistant, (another neighbourhood Dad). They will be delivering approximately 2,500 flyers each month between now and October to homes in the Heart Lake area.
The Eco Heart Lake Community Outreach Project is an example of a win-win-win scenario where efforts to address social, environmental and economic needs come together to help build true definition of a sustainable community. Thanks to Leo, and to Gunjan and Sumit of the Sharda Group for making this possible!