The Family Resource centre hosted a sponsorship tea that acknowledged its sponsors from the past year on January 24.
Miles Russell, chairperson for the Family Resource Centre welcomed everyone and gave an overview of the centre and its programs.
"The centre has been serving the Sturgis, Preeceville and Endeavour districts since 1996," said Russell.
“In the fall of 2018, the Family Resource Centre was in need of some financial help to meet the programs and obligations we made. We appealed to the businesses, service groups, churches, and municipal governments in our area to help us out. It was calculated that the centre needed an additional $10,000 to complete our programs and commitments for the fall. There was grant money and fundraised money that the Family Resource Centre had received but it would not be enough.
“The centre received a positive and generous response from the appeal. Today, we are honouring the supporters who have helped with providing funding for the past five months.”
Karolyn Kosheluk, Family Resource Centre coordinator, has been employed by the centre for five years.
“Her dedication, creatively, commitment, skills and talents have enabled the centre and its programs to help individuals in the communities it has served over the past five years,” said Russell.
“The response to our appeal this past fall has enabled her to remain at work and to enable the programs to continue and to be completed.
Russell went on to personally acknowledge each sponsor in attendance.
Programs implemented and made possible through donations, fundraisers and grants were: Come and Go Grow with Me; Drop In and Play; Food for Thought breakfast program at Sturgis Composite School; Mocktails (Fetal Alcohol prevention awareness); programs for children during culture days; nursery school trade show and the Christmas trade show.
Other programs included: a first aid event for parents; summer fun; children’s literacy, after school story hour; a Halloween event; participation in the Festival of Trees and Filling the Gap food hamper programs.
"We are now faced with more challenges as this year the major Community Initiative Funding grant that we rely upon for the basis of our programming for the next six months was declined," said Russell.
"This has put us in a difficult position. So, we will need to curtail our programming in the next several months. Karolyn Kosheluk will not be working in the office for the next few months, as we seek long term solutions. There is one program that will keep operating; the Food for Thought breakfast program. The program will run for seven weeks and plans are being made for the summer fun program to operate this summer in Sturgis and Preeceville in July and August.
“As we curtail the work of the centre and Karolyn's work for the next few months, we will be looking to find more sustainable funding for the ongoing programs and future functioning of the centre," said Russell.
"It is anticipated that the centre should have funding in place for the fall for the Come and Grow with Me, and the Drop In and Play and other programs. Filling the Gap will continue with help from the Preeceville and District Ministerial Association," said Kosheluk.
