Cyndra Townley is physically incapable of passing by a lonely mitten.
Finding things isn乌鸦传媒檛 new to her. It乌鸦传媒檚 actually a bit of a super power.
乌鸦传媒淚 once found my mother-in-law乌鸦传媒檚 diamond upside down in the shag rug behind her fridge.乌鸦传媒�
These days it乌鸦传媒檚 primarily cashmere beanies, tiny shoes, dog licence tags and keys.
A lot of keys.
乌鸦传媒淭his is stuff that if I lost it it would drive me crazy,乌鸦传媒� Townley said.
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She once picked up a tiny bootie in Beacon Hill Park and through the power of social media got it back to the owner 乌鸦传媒� well the owner乌鸦传媒檚 parents. What seemed an inconsequential piece of clothing returned was actually from Denmark, a gift from grandparents and of course part of a pair.
乌鸦传媒淚 delivered this bootie in Rockland and this couple was over the moon. That gave me this perspective that even little things make a difference,乌鸦传媒� Townley said.
Finding the neighbourhood groups on social media cluttered with home rental listings and quasi-jokes about leaf blowers, Townley created a dedicated page on Facebook called .
There she and the community match up people with a ton of missing keys and mitts, plus the odd plushie.
She marks her latest stuffed animal the most rewarding 乌鸦传媒� and popular 乌鸦传媒� find to date.
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乌鸦传媒淗e was sticking out of a two-foot-high wet, dirty leaf pile on Beach Drive and he乌鸦传媒檚 only three inches high,乌鸦传媒� Townley said. 乌鸦传媒淚 had to go back and get him, it registered in my mind I had passed something. I pictured somebody had chucked this out of a stroller and there乌鸦传媒檚 a mum going 乌鸦传媒榦h my son or daughter lost their favourite 乌鸦传媒ξ谘淮綑乌鸦传媒�
It乌鸦传媒檚 now had a wash and brush with before and after photos posted online, the bear has yet to be reunited with its family.
It also elicited the most heartfelt and copious responses. A back-and-forth of conversation and ideas also plays into the underlying reason Townley started the page.
A Canadian who grew up in war-torn Libya, she乌鸦传媒檚 a fan of creating positive community.
乌鸦传媒淚 know what a terrible community looks like. Anything I can do to make us feel like a community, I乌鸦传媒檒l do it,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 really rewarding. People can be quite reserved 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 just a huge icebreaker. That and the block watch.乌鸦传媒�
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Shortly after moving to Oak Bay three years ago, she joined Block Watch as another way to build community and meet people. Now she乌鸦传媒檚 a leader for 60 homes in her neighbourhood. It also morphed into work with the Oak Bay Emergency Preparedness Program.
乌鸦传媒淚 need to make this place feel connected to me,乌鸦传媒� Townley said.
She figures about one-third of the items listed on the Facebook page wind up returned. She recently successfully retrieved her own lost light-up dog collar.
And Townley has a potential plan for the leftovers.
Already she乌鸦传媒檚 envisioning the community connection that might be created with a clothesline of lonely gloves, boots and wayward caps, and an invitation online to let folks know to 乌鸦传媒渃ome by for the things you lost.乌鸦传媒�
