What is your impression of Salem Home in Winkler?
For Alana Thiessen, director of community engagement at the personal care home, the reality of Salem is that it’s a lively place inhabited by 145 unique individuals.
It’s also somewhere open to the public through various events and opportunities.
“We have our own community within Salem Home, and we just want to involve the rest of the community in this and show how vibrant life is there,” she said.
An upcoming market (called the Create and Connect craft show) at the personal care home will focus on sharing this energy with a specific part of Winkler — its younger generations.
The intergenerational craft show
The show, which will feature wares from those 16 and under, hopes to both showcase the home and create a bridge between generations.
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“We want to include the community and especially the youth of our city as well ... because maybe they don't have any real connection to Salem, but they can with this,” said Thiessen.
“[Young people] can come and make their own friends and their own connections.”
The craft show takes place on July 30th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Creating and connecting
According to Thiessen, the Create and Connect craft show highlights a foundational ideal by which Salem Home operates.
“One thing that we want to emphasize and one thing we want to do is just connect,” she said. “We want to connect with the community around us at Salem Home, and so this is the perfect way.”
An opportunity for practical learning
For the children participating in the craft market, it will not only be an opportunity to forge new connections but also a chance to gain hands-on experience.
“It's all, hopefully, run by the youth signing up,” said Thiessen. “They have to fill out all the forms, they have to sign the terms of agreement, and all of that. They are [also] in charge of their own booth.”
“It's a safe, inclusive, highly engaging market that you should come be a part of.”
-Alana Thiessen on why the community should attend the Create and Connect craft show.
Thiessen said that the craft market, which is the third that Salem Home has hosted, will feature items such as baked goods, lemonade, macramé, and jewellery.
The director of community engagement added that all funds raised from booth registrations, as well as the resident craft table (which will sell jams, aprons, and other items), will go toward purchasing ride wristbands for families who might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy the upcoming Harvest Festival.
Registration for the market is open until Friday, and the entire community is invited to browse all the items available at Salem Home on the 30th.
“It's a safe, inclusive, highly engaging market that you should come be a part of,” said Thiessen.
With files from Jayme Giesbrecht