Central Station Community Centre
Winkler, MB
The Central Station Community Centre is open five days a week and offers a variety of workshops and programs, including cooking classes, mental health workshops, and a breakfast program to support the local foodbank. With the move to the town’s main street in 2022, the space is now centrally located, accessible and visible to all that they serve. Weekly attendance to the programs at Central Station would average 800 people per week.
Community members that access Central Station are generally facing barriers and needing additional supports. Many face issues such as homelessness, unstable housing, lack of basic needs such as food, mental health services, addictions services, and/or a lack of access to technology. In addition to these, they offer skill building services such as cooking classes, financial counselling referrals, single and parenting course, etc.
The organization prides itself in collaborating with the Garden Valley School Division, Eden Health Care services, Regional Connections ,and more to offer programs collectively. The community was consulted extensively on the centre renovation project in general and it has been encouraged and supported through all stages thus far.
The community would like to create a “front porch” where people gather outside with an open invitation for connection and community. The front porch will be used by any group that is using the community centre to expand their space. It can also be used for anyone to sit outside as they pass by, be greeted by Central Station staff and hosts, and maybe stay and have a cup of coffee.
The funding granted will provide them with the opportunity to build a gazebo to shade the space used for their food programs, purchase picnic tables and outdoor benches that can be used for socializing as well as dining. Outreach will be in the form of a strong social media presence, community meals, opportunities for outdoor dining and socializing, as well as an open invitation for the community to utilize the space.