WCS building fund gets boost from St. Jacobs Lions Club

Just weeks before the scheduled June 3 ground breaking for Woolwich Community Service’s (WCS) new building, the St. Jacobs Lions Club added another $5,000 to the pot.

WCS executive director Don Harloff joined the Lions at their meeting on May 1 to accept the donation, which will help fund the construction of a 7,500-square-foot building on the corner of Memorial Avenue and Church Street in Elmira.

“We are happy to have the support from the St. Jacobs Lions Club,” Harloff said. “They have long been a big contributor, providing volunteers for many of our services, helping fund the back pack program, and now, with the building campaign.”

The Lions raised the money through the charity bingo they host twice each month at the KW Gaming Centre in Kitchener.  Member Carolyn Parks says the club is proud to support the great work done by WCS.

“It’s just a drop in the bucket, but that’s how these things get done, with the whole community pitching in where they can,” she said.

WCS began the capital campaign to build a new centre in July 2013, with a target of $1 million. Less then a year later, the organization has exceeded that goal by nearly $250,000.

“We are still seeking funds of course because the cost of the building is beyond the $1.25 million,” Harloff said. “So we’re always interested in continued donations coming forward so that we can be in a better position in the long term to give back and to have our programs continue to develop and grow as needed by the community.”

The new building will house all of the services currently provided at their 73 Arthur St. location including the used clothing store, which will “give us a lot more room to operate our programs for the foreseeable future,” Harloff said. The property will also include a three-storey rent-geared-to-income apartment building, developed by Menno Homes.