The Estevan Community Wellness Group is expanding its efforts to foster connection and mental wellness through a series of events and initiatives, including monthly game nights, a second annual dinner, and a new welcome package for newcomers. Co-chairs Shelly Veroba and Heidi Hesselink joined the SUN 102 Morning show to share all the details.
Check out the full interview below.
Monthly games night returns Aug. 19
The next Community Wellness Games Night will be held Aug. 19 at the Tech Hub, located behind Affinity Credit Union. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is open to all ages.
“You can bring your own board games or there will be games there, and it’s just an opportunity to get to know the community,” said co-chair Heidi Hesselink.
Snacks will be provided by Souris Family Pharmacy, which has committed to supporting the events for the remainder of the year.
Courage and Community Dinner set for January
The group is also preparing for its second annual Courage and Community Dinner, scheduled for Jan. 19, 2026 — a date that coincides with Blue Monday, often cited as the most depressing day of the year.
“Our first one was a sold-out event,” said co-chair Shelly Veroba. “We used that money that we raised that night to have the programming that we do, the website that we have, and the website is really important for us because it’s our resource website.”
Veroba said the evening promotes mental health and wellness and that the group is currently finalizing its keynote speaker.
“People walked away just singing the praises of how much we need to keep on talking about mental health and wellness,” she said.
Check out the recap from the first Courage and Community Dinner here.
Community Building Team seeks volunteers
The group continues to recruit members for its Community Building Team, which helps organize events and outreach.
“We got a few members who are interested in joining the Community Building Team, but we would love for anyone else who’s interested to connect with us,” Hesselink said.
Interested volunteers can reach out via the group’s website, email or Facebook page.
Welcome package initiative underway
A new initiative aims to greet newcomers to Estevan with resource cards and local coupons.
“We see them on the street. We see that they’re new to our community,” said Shelly Veroba. “A lot of us that have lived here, born and raised, we know everybody, but we’re starting to see a trend where we’re seeing people that we don’t know.”
Veroba said the goal is to make newcomers feel seen and supported.
“As committee members want to walk up to people and say, ‘Hey, we see you. We’re interested in integrating you into our community in any way possible,’” she said. “Getting you involved in anything that we can do, whether that’s helping them out either in the mental capacity or a physical capacity — anything that just does with committing to helping their wellness as a person.”
The group is inviting local businesses to contribute coffee cards or discount coupons to help new residents feel at home.