The Winkler Community Foundation (WCF) gave back to the area in a big way last week with the distribution of its 2024 grants.
The agency, which distributes the interest generated from the various endowment funds it oversees on behalf of the community, presented over two dozen local projects and non-profits with a total of $132,973 in funding at a celebration held at Winkler Arts and Culture June 26.
Some of the grant recipients were selected by WCF board members from a host of applications coming in for the foundation’s community and field of interest funds, while others received money through the agency, designated, and donor-advised funds.
It was most certainly a day to celebrate, said board chair Barb Neufeld.
“The main reason that we’re here today is to celebrate all of the amazing work that you and your organizations are doing,” she told the assembled crowd of grant recipients. “The work that you do enhances the lives of the citizens of our community and our area.”
Neufeld noted 2024 is a special year for WCF, as it marks 30 years since the organization became an active entity.
“Although we incorporated in 1988 when Max Gladstone made a $10,000 donation to start a foundation, it was our business community and the matching grant of $100,000 in 1994 from the Thomas Sill Foundation that really kickstarted the work of this foundation.
”The first grants were [distributed] in 1996 and totaled $8,500, impacting eight charitable organizations. Since then, over $2.5 million has been dispersed back into the community through the various funds that we hold.”
Today, the foundation has numerous endowment funds under its purview, including a multi-million dollar scholarship fund created in 2016 thanks to the bequest of pharmacist Gordon Wiebe. Today that fund generates more than $100,000 a year for scholarships.
With the closure of the Thomas Sill Foundation last year, the Winkler foundation received a $1.2 million boost to its Community Fund that will have a major impact on how much it’s able to give in the years ahead.
“This year we are donating or granting out about $41,000 from our Community Fund,” Neufeld said. “Next year we will be able to more than double that amount.”
The foundation board has also set its sights on significantly improving its overall assets in the years to come. Currently they oversee about $6.7 million in endowment funding.
“Our new financial goal is to have $10 million in assets by the year 2030,” Neufeld said, expressing confidence that they’ll get there, with the community’s support.
Welcome support
Among the recipients on hand for the celebration last week was Alycia Hildebrand, who heads up Industrial Eats at The Bunker. The program received $1,000 from WCF’s Kalansky Family Fund.
“Any support we get from the community is amazing for us,” she said. “We’re just so blessed by this community, and every little bit helps.”
Industrial Eats is nearing the home stretch of being able to open its new sit-down restaurant; they hope to do so later this year.
Receiving $1,500 from the Community Fund was Southwood School in Schanzenfeld for the further development of its new playground sand pit.
“It’s a huge sand pit with about four feet deep of sand,” said principal Linda Dyck. The area currently includes digging tools, a “sand kitchen” play space, and a pergola for shade. “It’s a lot to do with the motor and inquiry learning projects that we do. We just found that our kids love to dig.
“This grant will allow us to add on to what we’ve started,” she said, explaining that includes more sand-related play features.
“This just creates so many opportunities for teachers to take their whole classroom outside,” added teacher Marilyn Hart. “Or for rental groups to come and use the facility and the space.”
Receiving support from the foundation is a blessing, Dyck said.
“What it means to us is that they value our kids and they value our community by supporting this, even though we don’t live right in Winkler, it’s regional, and we really appreciate that.”
Ruth Reimer from Katie Cares was on hand to receive $5,115 from the agency-designated fund WCF oversees on their behalf.
“It started because of Kaitlyn,” she said of her late daughter, namesake to the charity and its respite home, Katie’s Cottage. “Three weeks before she passed away, she signed the agreement to create this fund. She knew it would help her charity.”
The fund has grown steadily since then and generates a stable source of funding for Katie Cares to use for operating expenses each year.
“We use it for things that we need to get for the cottage that maybe we put off, or certain things that we can’t always get grants for,” Reimer said.
“Donations don’t just fall into your lap, so when we get something like this, it’s a gift.”
Winkler Community Fdn. grant recipients
- Community Fund: $10,000 to Central Station for its poverty reduction plan, $10,000 to Reinfeld Park for a picnic shelter, $5,000 to Pembina Counselling Centre for client counselling assistance, $3,000 to Child and Family Services Central Manitoba for the Chance to Grow program, $2,500 to the BTHC Foundation for education days, $2,500 to Habitat for Humanity Winkler-Morden for their new house build, $1,500 to the Northland Child Care Centre for a playground upgrade, $1,500 to Southwood Elementary School for its new sand pit, $1,500 to the Winkler Day Care for a playground refresh, $1,000 to Health Muslim Families for new office furnishings, $800 to the South Central Regional Library for a dishwasher, $500 to the Douglas Kuhl School of Music for new technology, $500 to the Discovery Nature Sanctuary for its pollinator garden, and $760 to Winkler Arts and Culture for its summer arts program.
- Dr. CW Wiebe Medical Fund: $9,476 to the Winkler and District Health Care Board for a medical exam table.
- Darlene Peters Health Fund: $3,000 to South Central Cancer Resource for a skin care clinic and $1,990 to Salem Home for its park project.
- 2014 Manitoba Winter Games Sport Legacy Fund: $3,759 to the Winkler Whips for a new scoreboard.
- Katie Cares Fund: $5,115 to Katie Cares for operating expenses.
- Frank and Vi Wiebe Cheerboard fund: $3,223 Winkler and District Christmas Cheerboard for the annual hamper program.
- Gateway Resources Fund: $56,905 to Gateway Resources towards its Main St. project.
- Winkler Fire Rescue Fund: $981 to the Winkler Fire Department for mental health first aid training.
- Winkler Heritage Museum Fund: $1,927 to the Winkler Heritage Society for operating expenses.
- MAP Family Fund: $2,271 to J.R. Walkof School for the Wyatt Fehr outdoor classroom.
- Mend the Gap Fund: $2,266 to Central Station for community housing emergency needs.
- Kalansky Family Fund: $1,000 to The Bunker for its Industrial Eats project.
