Weyburn will be losing a special member of the community for the next year. Linda Rudachyk, former manager of The Family Place, and her family are taking a one-year leave to "slow down and enjoy each other and nature."
Rudachyk, her husband lawyer Greg Bobbitt, and their youngest daughter Cassie will be spending the summer at their home in Emma Lake. They will then go to Salt Spring Island, B.C. in early September where Cassie will start school.
During their leave, a family from Â鶹´«Ã½AV Africa will be living at the Rudachyk's house in Weyburn.
Rudachyk's position at The Family Place has been passed over to Kathy Helfrick.
Rudachyk said that although The Family Place has had several challenges lately, she knows that she is leaving it in good hands.
"Everything will be okay, we worked hard cleaning up," said Rudachyk. "Some very capable people are taking over."
The Family Place suffered major damage due to sewage backup in the basement during recent flooding. Rudachyk said that approximately $30,000 worth of things had to be thrown away during the cleanup, including all their archives.
"You can replace things, you can't replace people," said Rudachyk, who was sorry to say that The Family Place had to let some staff go last week. "We just can't pay them."
The Family Place will be able to hold their summer programs in the top levels of the building, thanks to a go ahead from public health officials. Summer programs begin July 4.
"I guess it's a new start," said Rudachyk, who co-founded The Family Place in 1995 with "two pens and a roll of toilet paper."
Rudachyk said she will miss the community of Weyburn and said that the help The Family Place received during their recent crisis was wonderful and inspiring.
