VGCC in the news
Did you catch us in the Winnipeg Free Press Community News last week?
There’s never a bad time to volunteer. But with annual general meetings, board appointments, and spring sports just around the corner, volunteer-run community centres in east Winnipeg need folks to step up.
“Volunteers provide valuable services to community centres,” said Karen Kummen-Diak, president of Valley Gardens Community Centre.
“Without volunteers, sports and other programs can’t exist.”
“Everybody think it’s not their job, until you point out you just do it,” added Maura Champagne, a longtime Gateway Recreation Centre volunteer co-ordinator and board member. Champagne got involved at Gateway over 15 years ago, and has said she’s concerned programs might start to suffer if more volunteers don’t step forward.
“We’re always on the lookout for volunteers,” Kummen-Diak said. “During the pandemic, we had tons of volunteers, a full board. People had time. Now, that family-work balance has gotten out of whack, and unfortunately for us, that’s been dropped. We’re always reaching out to parents, the community. It’s so very much needed.”
In that same issue is an article about the local Scouts group seeking storage space. Unfortunately, the building here at VGCC has been closed by the city due to problems with the foundation.
Since 2004, the John de Graff group has stored its equipment at Valley Gardens Community Centre (218 Antrim Rd.) for free, in the back of an outbuilding known as The Lodge. It also used the space for various events and meetings, as needed. However, the building was damaged in the fall of 2022, owing to shifting soil. The City of Winnipeg, which owns the building, has since condemned The Lodge, leaving the scouts scrambling to find a place to store their equipment by March 1.
“It has been a great spot for years,” said Daryl Adair, a John de Graff Scouts leader whose three children are involved in various levels of Scouts. “But we’ve been thrown a curveball. We need a nice, secure space that we can access year round. Any funds we have we want to put back into activities for our youth.”
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As the 1st John de Graff Scouts plan to meet for their annual dinner at the Elmwood Legion on Feb. 22, Adair said he’s hopeful the community will step up to help the troop in its hour of need. If a business were able to provide sponsorship of a storage space at a reduced or no cost, Adair said a tax receipt could be provided.
“As we come out of the pandemic, we’re humbled we’ve been able to endure,” he said. “We continue to be out doing things in the community. But we need help.”
Anyone interested in sponsorship or providing a storage for either program can contact Adair at 204-223-0459