Winona Woods Year in Review

We can all agree that 2020 has been unusual in every imaginable way and we eagerly (and possibly anxiously) await what 2021 will bring. 

When the current Winona Woods Neighborhood Association board began its service in February, we had no idea what the year would bring. Brought together by a desire to support our community, we were all new to each other and in the very early stages of determining priorities and goals. 

Then almost everything shut down and we were sequestered to our homes and computer screens. 

There was uncertainty around if and when we could have the usual WWNA meetings and events. There was concern that neighbors were too focused on getting by each day that neighborhood activities would seem out of place, and perhaps not welcome. We considered going “on pause” until COVID-19 was behind us.

But it became clear that addressing the pandemic would be a marathon, not a sprint. We believed that in scary and uncertain times, people rely, in part, on community to help each other get through. So, we decided to adapt and explore how we could build community in an age of physical distancing and virtual everything. This is what we learned:

Winona Woods loves its gardens! We decided to keep the sign gardens on St. Paul Blvd. going so everyone had something pretty to look at on walks and when they enter the neighborhood. Thank you to our sign garden volunteers! When it was clear our traditional garden tour might not be advisable, we took it virtual instead. We also offered free gardening webinars with the Cornell Cooperative Extension to help get our green thumbs going. 

Winona Woods loves to eat! Thanks to a suggestion from one of our neighbors, we were excited to bring a variety of food trucks to the neighborhood: Chef’s Catering, Effortlessly Healthy, Rollin’ Spuds, Rustic Taco, and the always popular Netsin’s Ice Cream. We also cross-promoted food truck events with the Parkside Neighborhood. Hopefully you had a chance to enjoy all of the great food!

Winona Woods loves to have fun! It was great to see all of the sidewalk art and outdoor decorations throughout the year. When we thought maybe we could pull off an event, we enjoyed hosting families for the Halloween parade. 

Winona Woods loves to help! Whether its assisting neighbors with yard work or tasks, answering questions and sharing information in the Facebook group, or responding to the call to help the Irondequoit Community Cupboard by donating 230+ pounds of food, Winona Woods knows how to rise to the occasion. 

As the page turns on this year, we look forward to building more community in 2021. The sign gardens will bloom again, expect the food trucks to be back, and keep an eye out for virtual activities this winter and safely planned in-person ones when the weather improves. And yes, the biannual Neighborhood Sale will be in full swing next summer. 

Thank you to all of our volunteers for their help in making all of this possible. And thank you to all of our neighbors for making Winona Woods a great place to live.

With appreciation,

Winona Woods Neighborhood Association Board 

Cheddy, Christyn, Gail, Jenna, Marina, Mary, and Meg