by Leila Castro | Leilacastro.ca@gmail.com
On October 18, the weather forecast warned of strong wind reaching up to more 100 km per hour. By evening, wind gust settled to less than 50 km per hour so we proceeded with our patrolling. We go out to spread awareness and patrol the neighbourhood for safety, but we ensure first that patrollers are safe before anything else. We gathered together at Maples Community Centre before heading to Elwick neighbourhood. Two new volunteers joined us. Jenny just recently arrived in Winnipeg. She was a banker in the Philippines. We were no match to Tita Adele who at age 72 walked swiftly and was tireless even after 2 hours of non-stop patrolling. Marilyn Magtoto, a Mortgage Specialist of RBC, brought us treats and hot coffee to drink before braving the cold and windy night.
We patrolled Alexander-Brooklands for the second time on October 25. First time patrollers Danae and Omar joined our walk. Danae is the community worker at Norwest at Alexander. She organized a safety forum with the community two months ago, where James Favel and myself were the guest speakers. Omar joined our patrolling group to meet more friends and to volunteer in the community. From Alexander Ave, we walked towards the busy Keewatin St then to William Ave and back to Alexander Ave. Patroller Fran collected from the ground a bucket full of hazardous items such as sharp sticks, metals and broken liquor glasses. We found a syringe on a busy roadside.
We enjoyed the freshly prepared siopao, kababayan and pandesal donated by Bakerite and the arroz caldo cooked by Rene Castro. Some patrollers say that other than the happiness out of helping the community, the delicious snacks is also something to look forward in our Wednesday patrolling.
204 Neighbourhood Watch patrols every Wednesday and we need more volunteers. Join 204 Neighbourhood Watch fb group to see our announcements and updates, or email me at Leilacastro.ca@gmail.com.
