HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-01-21, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016.
Local group looks to host
refugee family in Wingham
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
A group of Wingham residents
with a number of Blyth connections
is working to raise funds to help
bring a refugee family to the
Wingham area.
The Wingham and District
Refugee Sponsorship Group is
hoping to bring a Syrian family to
the Wingham area, but few details
have been finalized yet. The group is
not yet sure if the family will come
from Syria or not, due to a number
of factors, but the group is insisting
on a family.
The initiative began late last year,
but it has hit the ground running in
the new year, beginning with
fundraising and organizing events.
The group is chaired by Greg
Sherwood, a Wingham artist whose
art was featured at the Blyth Festival
Art Gallery as part of last year's
anniversary season. Blyth's Karen
Stewart, known for her work on
Campaign 14/19, is also working
with the group.
Marilyn Vander Woude is serving
as the group's fundraising convenor
and she says the project has
grown from a Wingham Ministerial
effort to a true community -wide
initiative.
Sponsorship paperwork is being
filed through the United Church of
Canada, Vander Woude says, but the
group has expanded to include those
beyond the Ministerial 's scope.
The group is hoping to have an
online funding page up in the next
week or two, but fundraising work
has already begun and a "Share the
Love" soup and bun fundraiser has
been set for the Wingham Legion on
Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, from 11
a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The fundraising goal, Vander
Woude says, is $27,000, which is the
estimated amount to support a
family of four. The group is
engaging in the process through the
Blended Visa Office -Referred
(BVOR) program, which receives
support from the federal
government.
Because the group has chosen to
take this avenue, all potential
candidates are screened by the
government and the federal
government will pay up to $10,000
of the cost.
This leaves the Wingham group
having to raise between $17,000 and
$20,000 to help bring the family to
Huron County, Vander Woude said.
The group, Vander Woude says,
has been growing steadily since its
inception and is always looking for
more members.
The group meets monthly and the
next meeting is set for Sunday, Feb.
28 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian
Church in Wingham at 2 p.m.
For more information on the
project, feel free to attend a meeting
or visit the group's Facebook page.
If you'd like to get involved, contact
Sherwood at 519-524-3367 or at
greg.sherwoodl @gmail.com.
Shortreed's first year as
HCBP president a good one
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
The Huron County Beef
Producers held their annual meeting
last week in Brussels and President
Matt Shortreed of Walton said he
felt his first year at the head of the
organization was a good one.
Shortreed was named the
Producers' president at last year's
annual meeting, succeeding Bob
Bennett from the Gorrie area.
In speaking to those in attendance
on the snowy night, he highlighted a
number of positive activities from
2015. One of the better moves the
group made was to spend more time
out in the community, he said,
hosting meals at Hullett Central
Public School, the Elementary
School Fair in Belgrave and the
Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey
Crusaders Weekend at the Brussels,
Morris and Grey Community Centre
in Brussels.
He also looked ahead to perhaps
the group's biggest food challenge:
being part of, along with other
Huron County commodity groups, a
food court at the 2017 International
Plowing Match, which is set to be
held in Shortreed's hometown of
Walton.
Shortreed said he felt his first year
as president had been a success, but
he largely attributed it to the rest of
the executive, the organization's
directors and members. He said the
#1 And We
Still Try Harder
Recent circulation figures
show The Citizen has the
highest circulation in the
northern part of
Huron County,
#3 in the entire county.
The Citizen
Proudly Community -Owned
Sinop 1985
-
support had been "excellent" in his
first year, so it was easy to do a good
job under those circumstances.
In addition, he told members that
he was encouraged by the
progressive approach being adopted
by many members that kept the
environment in mind. Whether it be
planting cover crops or increasing
efficiency, he said that his
generation was benefitting from the
advances in genetics made by the
generation before him.
He hoped that trend would
continue, he said, adding that if his
generation of beef farmers could
keep the best interests of the
environment, as well as the industry
in mind, that perhaps an even
healthier industry will be left to
producers like Brett Stevenson of
Morris-Turnberry, the son of Ron
Stevenson and the organization's
youngest member.
Helping out
Alycia Coultes, shown here pouring orange juice,
of the many volunteers helping to make a fundraising
breakfast and bake sale at Knox United Church in Belgrave
a success on Saturday morning. The event, called the "Beat
the Blahs" breakfast and bake sale, was a fundraiser to
support Student Minister Brian Hymers' education. (Denny
Scott photo)
was one
Looking for local heroes
There are so many people out there who do
so much to improve their community.
Now you have a chance to say thanks.
Nominate that special person for the 31st
Annual Citizen Citizenship Awards.
Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of the Blyth and area
and Brussels and area communities to receive an award for contribution to the
community. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please fill in the ballot
and send it in. You may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee
should win, if you like. If you have nominated someone before and he or she didn't win,
please feel free to try again.
I nominate
as Citizen of the year for
Blyth Brussels
& area & area
I feel she/he deserves this award because
1
Nomination Deadline July 31, 2016.
Name and phone number of nominator