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Nearly two decades ago, Lexiss Jefferson recognized the need for a space for musicians to play that wasn't a bar. That's when Gordie's Coffee House was conceived.
"There's a chapel beside the sanctuary at Gordon King Memorial United Church [in Glen Elm], affectionately known here in the neighbourhood as the Big Red Church," said Jefferson. "We unchapelized the chapel, which was mostly a storage room at the time, and we filled it with comfortable chairs, tables and couches and fixed it up."
Lexiss says they put out a call for art from artists in the neighbourhood, and before they knew it, they had more art than expected.
"We became a bit of an art Gallery," said Jefferson. "We are also a lending library. We have a games room where there is always a jigsaw puzzle table at the back. It's just a comfortable, welcoming place for everybody to come."
LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION WITH LEXISS JEFFERSON HERE:
Gordie's Coffee House is open every Thursday from September to June, and to wrap up each season, they host a special concert.
"At the end of each year, we have what I have coined as the Wang Dang Doodle Open Mic Extravaganza," Jefferson explained. "We do this in the sanctuary, and it's done in Folk Fest style. We have about four to five performers, and then everybody goes."
Not only does the community get to participate in this special concert, but it is also an opportunity to raise funds for a special cause.
"The whole point of the Wang Dang Doodle Open Mic Extravaganza is to raise money for House of Hesed, which is an HIV/AIDS home in Winnipeg, that serves men and women living with HIV/AIDS by providing a loving, supportive home," said Jefferson. "They provide 24/7 staffing, private bedrooms, home-cooked meals, love and advocacy."
The Wang Dang Doodle Open Mic Extravaganza will take place on Thursday June 19 at the Big Red Church at 127 Couburg Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show starts at 7 p.m.