Heartful Abilities

Heartful Community —
creativity, wellness, and belonging for everyone

Creative, seasonal, wellness, and speaker-led experiences for groups, workplaces, faith communities, and public gatherings across Ottawa — open to everyone, no diagnosis or label needed.

Why this exists

A gathering place, not a program

Heartful Abilities is a gathering place for creativity, learning, wellness, reflection, and connection. Heartful Connections and Heartful Moments bring one-on-one visits to individuals — Heartful Community brings that same hands-on, personal approach to groups: community centres, workplaces, faith communities, and public events.

The Community Speaker Series welcomes spiritual speakers, artists, creators, wellness professionals, authors, and community partners who help people discover new ideas, share stories, and feel more connected to themselves and others.

How it works

An experience built around your group

Every experience is planned around who's actually in the room — a community group, a workplace team, a congregation, or the public.

01

We talk first

A quick call or email to learn about your group, your space, and what you're hoping the experience feels like.

02

I plan the experience

I choose an activity or format to match — creative, seasonal, wellness-focused, or a guest speaker — and pack everything needed.

03

I bring it to you

I arrive with supplies and structure in hand and guide the experience from start to finish, sized for your group.

What we offer

Experiences to choose from

Every experience is built around your group, chosen together beforehand. Here's a look at what's typically on the menu — new ideas are always welcome.

Meaningful Creations

Transform treasured keepsakes, meaningful objects, and personal memories into works of art that celebrate life's stories.

Seasonal Experiences

Celebrate every season through creativity, tradition, and meaningful connection.

Community Speaker Series

Inspiring guest speakers, spiritual speakers, artists, wellness professionals, authors, and community partners who encourage reflection, growth, creativity, and conversation.

Community & Wellness

Experiences designed to encourage mindfulness, conversation, creativity, belonging, and time to slow down together.

Private & Public Gatherings

Welcoming experiences for individuals, friends, families, community groups, and special occasions where people gather with purpose.

Online Workshops

Live and pre-recorded sessions open to the public — join from home, follow along at your own pace, with your own materials or a kit sent to you.

Don't see something here? Tell me what your group is looking for and I'll plan something around it.

Free, on a rolling monthly basis

Free monthly workshops, for everyone

Once a month, I offer a free workshop for each community I serve — same spirit, teaching style adjusted to who's in the room.

Community Workshop

Open to the general public. A relaxed, hands-on session anyone is welcome to join — no experience needed.

Heartful Connections Workshop

Free monthly workshop for adults with developmental disabilities, paced and adapted for the group.

Heartful Moments Workshop

Free monthly workshop for seniors, adapted for dexterity and memory.

Where experiences happen

Wherever people already gather

Public experience locations are announced once interest is gathered and the best venue is confirmed. Private and group experiences can happen almost anywhere your group already meets.

Libraries Community Centres Churches & Faith Communities Retirement Communities Workplaces Employee Wellness Private Gatherings Public Events Special Celebrations
Can't meet in person?

Join from anywhere — online sessions

The same hands-on activities from the catalogue above, guided over video — live or on your own time.

Live sessions

Join a real-time video call and follow along together, with guidance and questions answered as you go.

Pre-recorded sessions

Watch a step-by-step video any time that works for you, and revisit it as often as you'd like.

Materials

However you'd like to gather supplies

Bring your own

Once you register, you'll receive a simple list of items needed — gather what you need from home, at no extra cost.

Have a kit sent

Prefer not to shop? Add a complete materials kit — it's mailed straight to your door, no session rate change.

Online pricing

The session rate stays the same either way

Add the materials kit if you'd rather not shop. Exact rate depends on the activity chosen.

Live Session

$25/hr

Guided live over video, using your own materials.

Recorded Session

$15/session

Follow along anytime, using your own materials.

Materials Kit

+$25one-time

Optional — a complete kit mailed to your door, added to either session type.

Starting prices shown above — the exact rate depends on the activity chosen.

Ask about online sessions
Investment

Book into the calendar

Public experiences can be listed through Eventbrite or another booking calendar, while private and group experiences are quoted based on group size, activity, and location.

Public Experiences

Live and upcoming public experiences are listed on my booking calendar — reserve a seat, join a waitlist, or bring a friend.

View & Book Sessions

Private & Community Bookings

Experiences can be brought to community spaces, workplaces, faith communities, retirement communities, and private gatherings — quoted to fit your group.

Request a Quote

Free monthly community workshops are always open to everyone, regardless of budget. Ask about sliding scale and sponsorship for private group experiences too — cost should never be the reason someone misses out.

Credentials & safety

Someone you can feel good about welcoming in

Every experience is covered by the same checks and training you'd expect from an agency — because trust matters just as much as the activity itself.

Vulnerable Sector Screening

Police-verified background check

First Aid & CPR

Current certification

NCI Trained

Non-violent Crisis Intervention

Fully Insured

Liability coverage in place

Clean Driver's Abstract

Verified driving record

About Darlene

Why this matters to me

Before Heartful Abilities, I spent over 20 years working in the developmental disability and senior care fields, most recently as a Program Manager in the non-profit sector. That work stayed with me — the people, the relationships, the quiet moments that mattered more than any meeting.

I wanted to build something that feeds my heart and soul, not just fill another role.

Heartful Community grew out of that same belief, applied to everyone: that creativity, wellness, and genuine connection shouldn't be reserved for any one group. Whether it's a library, a workplace, a congregation, or a living room, there's a place for you here.