Darlene Wasyluk, manager of the Salvation Army accepted a donation to the food bank in Assiniboia from Jeanette Mondor from the Hills of Home Club during a presentation on January 23, pictured at right. The Hills of Home Club in Willow Bunch have been able to make a donation of both food items and cash to the local food bank at the Salvation Army in Assiniboia following its winter fundraising activities.
Traditionally, the club has operated as the local seniors鈥� club in Willow Bunch. Each year it has hosted a Christmas dinner and gift exchange for its members. This year, the club鈥檚 board of directors decided to try something new and opened the dinner to all members of the community. In lieu of the usual Christmas gift exchange, guests attending the dinner were invited to bring non-perishable food items to donate. Attendees would also have their names entered in a draw for a prize.
The Hills of Home Club brought its idea to fruition and hosted its first annual Community Christmas Dinner on December 1 in conjunction with the local Tourism Board鈥檚 鈥淎light the Night鈥�. It was an uplifting feeling for the club to see the community come together in the spirit of the season.
The local response was more than the club expected. 鈥淚t is gratifying to see different local organizations working together for the betterment of our community. The response from the community far exceeded our expectations,鈥� said chair Jeanette Mondor. The dinner event served over 100 people.
鈥淭his event is something we should repeat annually, although we may have to increase the seating capacity for the dinner so as not to have to turn people away in future years. Remember, even small communities can do great things,鈥� added Mondor.
When the tally was complete, the Hills of Home Club was able to donate 20 bags of non-perishable food items and $500 from the proceeds of the dinner to the Salvation Army food bank in Assiniboia. 鈥淭his would not have been possible without the support of the community.鈥�
The Hills of Home Club is committed to providing community events and programming to the community at large throughout the year as well as specialized senior鈥檚 programming for their membership. For example, the club holds bingo day at the hall in Willow Bunch on the third Sunday of every month. The funds raised go towards the maintenance of the hall and programming for the Willow Bunch community. The Hills of Home Club also keeps a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hills of home club) where they provide updates on their activities.
The Salvation Army Food Bank in Assiniboia serves a broad area of 30 other communities around Assiniboia and includes Willow Bunch. These communities are: Ardill, Bengough, Congress, Coronach, Ferland, Fife Lake, Fir Mountain, Glentworth, Gravelbourg, Killdeer, Kincaid, Lafleche, Limerick, Lisieux, Mankota, Maxstone, Mazenod, McCord, Meyronne, Mossbank, Palmer, Readlyn, Rockglen, Scout Lake, Vantage, Verwood, Viceroy, Willow Bunch, Wood Mountain and Woodrow.
