--- title: The Latest | Karen Reed description: "Karen is seeking to live faithfully as a good neighbour in the East Vancouver community of Commercial Drive, believing that we flourish as we help our neighbours to flourish. She is interested in what it means to live well in the city and seeks out ways to disturb the dominant narrative of fear and isolation with subversive acts of generous hospitality. For the first time in her life, she lives slow and rooted, living 90% of her life within a 30 minute walk of her house and has given up her car for a bike. Karen loves to cook, grow food, enjoys a good cup of coffee with a book, and all kinds of water sports. She lives a shared life with five others and is having a blast at this stage of life, discovering the sacred ordinary in her rhythm of life in the city. Karen has worked most of her life in the non-profit world, serves on numerous non-profit boards and after many years, eventually earned her MA from Regent College." --- [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=200&height=47&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) # The Latest Contribute. We love to hear your thoughts, your musings and your latest work. Please share with us! [![Write a post](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/316071/33819a55-1164-4664-8ab0-c9fe2f42d6f1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/316071/33819a55-1164-4664-8ab0-c9fe2f42d6f1) #### Subscribe. Be in the know. Get the latest updates about community change and building vibrant communities. [Learn More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/subscribe?hsLang=en-us) × - [Climate Change & SDGs](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/climate-transitions) - [Collective Impact](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/collective-impact) - [Community Engagement](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/community-engagement) - [Community Development](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/cities-deepening-community) - [Evaluation](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/evaluation) - [Innovation](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/community-innovation) - [Leadership](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/collaborative-leadership) - [Poverty](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/cities-reducing-poverty) - [Youth](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/communities-building-youth-futures) ## Karen Reed ![Karen Reed](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Karen%20Reed-048096-edited.jpg) Karen is seeking to live faithfully as a good neighbour in the East Vancouver community of Commercial Drive, believing that we flourish as we help our neighbours to flourish. She is interested in what it means to live well in the city and seeks out ways to disturb the dominant narrative of fear and isolation with subversive acts of generous hospitality. For the first time in her life, she lives slow and rooted, living 90% of her life within a 30 minute walk of her house and has given up her car for a bike. Karen loves to cook, grow food, enjoys a good cup of coffee with a book, and all kinds of water sports. She lives a shared life with five others and is having a blast at this stage of life, discovering the sacred ordinary in her rhythm of life in the city. Karen has worked most of her life in the non-profit world, serves on numerous non-profit boards and after many years, eventually earned her MA from Regent College. ### Recent Posts [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/DSCF3464%5B1%5D-517994-edited.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/creating-a-sense-of-village-in-your-neighbourhood?hsLang=en-us) ### [Creating a Sense of Village in Your Neighbourhood](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/creating-a-sense-of-village-in-your-neighbourhood?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Karen Reed](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/karen-reed) on August 9, 2018 There is a growing understanding about the richness of life that has been lost with our fragmented and isolated lives, and attention is now being given to restore the historic nature of neighbourhoods. The close proximity and frequency to run into neighbours is what builds social capital - that relational fabric in a community. Sociologists have been sounding the alarm regarding our plummeting social capital; the absence of it is impoverishing our lives and communities.  It is what builds civil society. This social connectedness is a primary contributor to a person’s sense of wellness and it is shaped by our local, daily life. How do we combat the trends of ‘living above place’ versus being rooted, the trend of valuing the private over the common, and of the increasing isolation, fragmentation and speed of life? How do we live out our values – not as professionals – but as neighbours? [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/creating-a-sense-of-village-in-your-neighbourhood?hsLang=en-us) [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=3401&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) ### Tamarack [Home](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) [Latest](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest) [Events](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/eventlisting?hsLang=en-us) [Donate](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/donate?hsLang=en-us) [About](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/whoweare?hsLang=en-us) ### Follow Us [** ** ](https://www.facebook.com/TamarackInstitute) [** ** ](https://twitter.com/Tamarack_Inst) [** ** ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tamarack-institute-for-community-engagement)   In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth we honour and acknowledge that our work occurs across Turtle Island (North America), which has been home since time immemorial to the ancestors of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. ### Subscribe Be in the know. 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