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History: From Chaplaincy to Connection
Carlington Community Connection began in 1987 as the Carlington Community Chaplaincy, created through the Carlington Social Action Committee—a coalition of local churches responding to isolation, poverty, and practical hardship in the neighbourhood. Its first chaplain, Sue Taylor, shaped the work as a ministry of presence - meeting people in everyday life with dignity, patience, pastoral care, and practical support. Alongside a Pastoral Care team and community partners, the early Chaplaincy offered counselling, self-help groups, children’s music mornings, knitting groups, food assistance, and other welcoming programs that helped residents find support and community. As the work grew, the Chaplaincy evolved into Carlington Community Connection, broadening its programs while keeping the same heart: to be present with people, welcome them as they are, and nurture connection, purpose, and belonging. Today, that legacy continues through friendship, education, mentoring, food security, spiritual support, shared meals, creative expression, and community leadership—faithful presence becoming lasting relationship, so no one in Carlington has to face life alone. 
Program & Volunteer Coordinator
For many who walk through the doors of Carlington Community Connection, Jeff Johnson is part of the welcome that helps them feel at home. As Program & Volunteer Coordinator, he brings people together with care—matching volunteers with meaningful ways to serve and helping programs become places of friendship, encouragement, and belonging. Through his steady support and compassion, Jeff helps ensure that neighbours are not just served, but seen, valued, and reminded they matter. 
Steve Zytveld
Chaplain
As Chaplain at Carlington Community Connection, Steve Zytveld offers the kind of support that meets both the heart and the practical needs of everyday life. Through listening, encouragement, advocacy, and compassionate presence, he walks alongside neighbours in moments of struggle, grief, uncertainty, and hope. Steve’s ministry helps people feel less alone, more grounded, and deeply valued—reminding them that they are seen, supported, and held in community. |
Mission: From Loneliness to Connection
Loneliness is more than the absence of company—it is the painful experience of feeling unseen, unsupported, or disconnected from the relationships that give life meaning. It can affect a person’s confidence, sense of purpose, mental health, and ability to cope with everyday challenges. For neighbours facing poverty, grief, illness, mobility barriers, or life transitions, isolation can make already difficult circumstances feel even heavier. Carlington Community Connection responds by offering more than programs—it offers a presence. Rooted in a ministry of presence, its mission is to create a safe, healthy, and inclusive place where people are welcomed, listened to, respected, and empowered. Through hospitality, creative arts, chaplaincy, shared meals, everyday conversation, and collaboration with other community organizations, the Connection meets people where they are and helps turn isolation into belonging, one relationship at a time. Values: Where Everyone is Connected
At Carlington Community Connection, diversity is cherished and every person is welcomed with dignity. Inclusion and equity come to life when newcomers are greeted by name, neighbours with limited mobility find a place at the table, people facing poverty are met without judgment, and community members of different ages, cultures, abilities, and life experiences share refreshments, art, conversation, and leadership. Here, people are not asked to fit in; they are invited to come as they are and discover that they matter. Carlington Community Connection’s inclusive programs open doors to friendship, confidence, creativity, learning, nourishment, and belonging—and volunteers are the caring people who make that impact real. Every warm greeting, meal shared, conversation started, and helping hand extended becomes part of a ministry of presence that tells someone, “You matter.” Through their time, compassion, and commitment, volunteers help neighbours discover their gifts, share their stories, and experience real moments of dignity, hope, and connection. Gratitude: Making Connection Possible
Carlington Community Connection’s mission is made possible by the faithful support of church members, community organizations, and individuals who give generously in many ways. We are deeply grateful for those who contribute money, offer their time as volunteers, offer encouragement, and provide gifts-in-kind such as snacks, supplies, materials, and other practical resources. Every contribution—financial, personal, and practical—does more than sustain programs; it creates moments of welcome, dignity, and belonging for neighbours who need to know they are not alone. In giving, supporters become part of the connection they help build, and their own lives are enriched by the joy of serving, the relationships they form, and the deep knowledge that their compassion is making a real difference in the community. |
Supporting Churches and Community Groups
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The CCC is committed to providing equal treatment to people with disabilities with respect to the use and benefit of our services, programs, goods and facilities in a manner that respects their dignity and that is equitable in relation to the broader public.