Moosomin Family Resource Centre hosts Strokes & Stitches Craft Fair this Saturday
September 21, 2022, 8:47 am
Sierra D'Souza Butts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Moosomin Family Resource Centre is hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year—Strokes and Stitches Craft Fair—on Saturday Sept. 24 at the Moosomin Communiplex and Mike Schwean Arena.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be over 30 vendors at the Craft Fair, which will include local businesses, goods and crafts, bakeries and more.
“I’ve been able to assist with the craft fair for the last couple of years, there is a lot of excitement around it,” said Karen Halloway, vice-chair of Moosomin Family Resource Centre.
“We put it on every year to raise funds and raise awareness of all the skills that people have in our communities. It brings people together from many areas and it’s also an opportunity for people to volunteer as a community.
“We are looking for some help with setting stuff up, I’m also the volunteer co-ordinator here with SHA so I’m very passionate about this as well.”
The craft fair has been going on annually since 2009.
“We have families who help with the event, it’s also a chance for people to share their different talents and skills,” Halloway said.
“The craft show is a wonderful culinary event as well, some of the crafts are food and we do homemade sandwiches, desserts etc. It’s a good old fashioned gathering place with an opportunity to buy holiday gifts.”
At last year’s event the resource centre raised about $3,000.
The craft fair does not only help raise money for Moosomin’s family resource centre, but it also helps support local businesses in town.
“I think it brings in people from other communities to come check out the craft sale and they love to go visit some of our local shops, such as Kari’s Kloset all the way to the Red Barn, people can also check out the new Haven Clothing store in town,” said Crystal Leshchyshyn board chair of Moosomin Family Resource Centre.
Leshchyshyn has been part of the resource centre for at least 20 years.
She said early childhood is very important for children and their families, and that having resources accessible for families in the community can make a big difference.
“We’ll have a canteen at the craft fair with homemade soups and sandwiches,” Leshchyshyn said.
“The whole idea of the centre is to keep resources affordable for families and to have programs available at either no cost or little cost.
“Last year through the pandemic, Sheryl Willms-Bromm made over 2,000 craft kits that she put out every week for families to pick up, which had literacy, craft and physical activities. It was really well received. Those were provided at no cost which (was paid for with) our money that was fundraised.
“Every now and then we have a family who is in need of things and we use our social media platform to ask the community for various donations if possible.”
Halloway spoke about the types of resources the centre offers for people in Moosomin and surrounding communities.
“I’m so impressed with what Crystal and Sheryl have done especially through the two years of the pandemic,” Halloway said.
“With not being able to have people at the centre, it became more of a (focus on) crafts, with activity care kits that were picked up, raincoats, snow gear, those types of things.
“We also donated hampers when we had grants available for meeting that need. As well with the vaccine clinics that we did for SHA, we put together a number of activity kits that were not just for Moosomin and area, but all along the line.
“It was creative, it was fun, and it was a way to really reduce the fear factor and put a little bit of play in connection with the children at the vaccine centre.
“The family resource centre is really a resource centre for Moosomin and area, and it was reaching families from a far during that time specifically. The centre meets the needs of the community as we move forward and as things unfold.”
Halloway said Moosomin Family Resource Centre is an important part of the community.
“Crystal is very modest, her skills with parenting class and her life experience have really made an impact,” she said.
“It’s not just the child, the whole family is our mission for supporting them and giving them the tools, the opportunity, the place for that connection.
“Volunteering of course is something that we want to inspire in everyone because that’s what makes our community stronger.”
People who are interested in volunteering or helping set up the craft fair can contact the centre at (306) 435-3993.
