A group of Veregin and district residents, who take a keen interest in the continuation of the Veregin New Horizons Community Hall and Centre, met at the Centre last week where they received a donation of $10,000 from Jack Blahut, the area marketing representative, on behalf of Richardson Pioneer.
The money is being spent on renovations to the facility, said Nadia Reibin, president of the committee which oversees the operations of the Hall and Centre. The money will offset the amount that has been spent on the replacement of the sidewalk out front and windows.
It’s a work in progress, Reibin said, adding that plans include painting the ceiling, installing new flooring, purchasing a new furnace and additional work on the exterior of the building.
The building, which is comprised of a former grocery store and hall, has been a New Horizons social centre since 1981, she explained. It was three years ago that a new group of residents had decided to involve themselves in the building, which was seen to be more of a community centre rather than a seniors’ centre.
The Centre is open from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. each morning, excepting Sundays, when residents drop in for coffee and to “solve the world’s problems.” A group of about 20 volunteers from Veregin, Canora and Kamsack, meet to make perogies which are sold at $4 a dozen for potato and onion perogies and potato and cheddar cheese, and $5 a dozen for sauerkraut and cottage cheese.
“We make and sell a couple hundred dozen a month,” she said. The work helps raise money for the Centre and it’s also an outing for retired volunteers.
Reibin said that persons wishing to help make the perogies may leave their names at the centre or contact her.
The committee rents the hall for various functions, she said. The hall seats 120 and another 40 can be seated at the Centre for a total seating capacity of 160.
“We hold two major fundraising suppers each year,” she said, adding that they were sold out for the third annual ham and perogies supper in mid-January. The other supper is a pre-seeding supper held in April.
The group has also begun a catering business and this year enjoyed being able to cater a meal for a group of visitors to the National Doukhobor Heritage Village.
“We’re here for the community,” Reibin said.
