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How do you show up for someone you care about, knowing you can’t fix what hurts?

This kitchen table conversation wrestles with the urge to jump in and make things better—a reflex that can sometimes get in the way of real connection. Through honest stories and gentle reflection, Johan Heinrichs and Shannon Steeves wonder together if it’s possible that presence, not solutions, is what helps us become the kind of neighbours we long to be.

• Caring does not always mean fixing, presence can be the most meaningful response.
• The urge to fix often comes from discomfort with silence, pain, or lack of control.
• Listening well helps people feel seen and valued, even when nothing is resolved.
• Jesus’ response at Lazarus’ tomb shows that compassion can come before solutions.
• Silence and shared grief are not failures of care, they are forms of love.
• Being helpful is not the same as being present.
• Not every problem is yours to solve, but every person deserves to be heard.
• Practicing a pause can create space for deeper connection.
• Care becomes healthier when it flows from identity, not the need to feel useful.
• Ordinary presence can strengthen relationships and community more than advice.

04:21 "Sharing God's Work Through Us"

06:41 Struggling with Networking Skills

11:36 Navigating Conflict in Relationships

13:32 "Balancing Support After Heartbreak"

19:12 "Identity Rooted in God's Truth"

20:34 "The Power of Compassionate Listening"

24:15 "Presence Over Fixing Struggles"

26:38 "Neighborly Care, Powerful Presence"

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Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

Skip The Dinner is CareImpact’s year-end Christmas campaign, a fundraising non-event. You keep your time, and you give from wherever you are.

Right now, every year-end gift or pledge is DOUBLED by a generous donor, so your giving goes twice as far to help strengthen CareImpact’s work with churches and community partners across Canada.

Give or pledge here: careimpact.ca/skip-the-dinner

Each donation will be matched before January 1, 2026.

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly!

https://careimpact.ca/donate

What does neighbourly care look like when it shows up in everyday life—free from noise, but rooted in presence?

This story turns our attention to ordinary moments: a shared meal in a Manitoba winter, ribbons tied on a neighbour’s door, volunteers sweeping a curling rink, and even the debates sparked by a rooster at sunrise. Through gentle headlines and honest reflections, we’re invited to notice the small, sustaining gestures that keep communities connected long after the headlines fade.

Ontario’s Mutual Aid Pilot Weaves Everyday Care into Neighbourhood Resilience

Original story: “Neighbours Helping Neighbours: Pilot Learning Report (2023–2025)” – Hey Neighbour Collective / Building Resilient Neighbourhoods (Sept 26, 2025)

https://www.heyneighbourcollective.ca/2025/09/neighbours-helping-neighbours-learning-report/

Additional: https://www.resilientneighbourhoods.ca/neighbours-helping-neighbours/

BC Curling Volunteers Sweep Up Community Joy on the Ice

Original story: “National Volunteer Week 2025” – Curl BC (May 1, 2025)

https://www.curlbc.ca/national-volunteer-week-2025/

Neighbourhood Watch – Salt Spring Island Rooster Case

Original story: “Salt Spring Island 'chicken war' moves to court as rooster owner challenges noise bylaw” – Jason Proctor, CBC News (May 17, 2022)

Winnipeg’s Chalmers Hub Turns Holiday Gatherings into Year-Round Care

Original story: “Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal” community bulletin – Winnipeg Free Press (Nov 19, 2025)

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/east/2025/11/19/chalmers-neighbourhood-hub-fundraisers

Hub page: https://chalmersrenewal.org

Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/

Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca

Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal:

Skip The Dinner is CareImpact’s year-end Christmas campaign, a fundraising non-event. You keep your time, and you give from wherever you are.

Right now, every year-end gift or pledge is DOUBLED by a generous donor, so your giving goes twice as far to help strengthen CareImpact’s work with churches and community partners across Canada.

Give or pledge here: careimpact.ca/skip-the-dinner

Each donation will be matched before January 1, 2026.

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly!

https://careimpact.ca/donate

In this conversation, Shannon and Steve Griffin discuss the intersection of community development and church outreach, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with vulnerable populations. Steve shares his journey from traditional pastoral roles to working directly with those in poverty, highlighting the significance of dignity, belonging, and the power of storytelling in ministry. They explore how volunteers can engage meaningfully with their communities and the transformative impact of connection and service.

Takeaways

1. Community development is about building relationships, not just providing services.
2. Isolation is the biggest issue for vulnerable populations, not lack of resources.
3. Dignity and belonging are essential in outreach ministries.
4. Listening to people's stories is crucial for understanding their needs.
5. Volunteering should be seen as a calling, not just an obligation.
6. Transformative stories often come from deep personal struggles.
7. The church should be a place of belonging for everyone.
8. Rescue can lead to reconciliation and restoration in communities.
9. Everyone has a role to play in serving those in need.
10. Awareness of our surroundings can lead to meaningful connections.

05:09 "Relational Outreach Through Ministry"

10:31 Listening Without Assumptions

13:58 "Mobilizing Love on the Margins"

15:36 "Volunteering with Purpose and Calling"

20:09 "Seeking God in Brokenness"

23:31 "Rescue, Reconciliation, Restoration"

25:55 "Awareness and Compassion in Action"

30:04 "Embracing God's Call to Serve"

Ministry: Centre Street Church

Book: Come to the Table: Mobilizing the Church to Love on the Margins

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