Mar 14th, 2024

Tenant Spotlight: Meet Sang 

Sang has lived in May Nickson Place since the early ’90s. She loves how diverse her community is, with residents from around the world and of all ages.    

“There’s young families and seniors and everything in between,” Sang said.    

But a few years ago, it needed that community connection. Sang said the lounge wasn’t in use, except if someone wanted to rent it out.    

Under the guidance of Amanda, the building’s Community Developer, residents formed a tenant association.    

Sang was one of the first volunteers and became a “keyholder” for the lounge, which allowed them to host activities.    

They started small, with bingo on Sunday nights – they play for fun – not money, and charge a nominal fee for snacks. Then, the association got a coffee maker and a movie projector grant. The projector started movie nights. The association also started game nights on Tuesdays. Now, they host BBQs and holiday celebrations.   

“It gets people out and brings people together,” Sang said.    

Sang’s next step was to participate in the Creating the Change We Want workshop with the Community Development Framework. She said some of the connections she made there have resulted in lasting friendships.    

For example, Sang is working on establishing a food pantry. She said there is a lot of food insecurity in the community, and residents often need help from the Food Bank. However, due to growing demand, they sometimes need help getting the items they want or need. She found a way to help and operate the pantry on a “take it or leave it,” basis.    

“People can leave what they don’t want and take something else,” she said, adding that she’s been working with Cathy, a Clementine Towers resident who started her food pantry. Cathy has been providing support and advice.    

Sang isn’t just making a difference in her building; she’s also working with the City for All Women Initiative. This organization aims to ensure a city where everyone can thrive, where diverse voices are heard, valued, and honoured.    

When she’s not working on being the change she wants to see in the world, Sang loves to babysit. She said getting to know people in the building is easy because it’s small.    

“It’s like the building is our home, and we all share a different kind of family,” she said.