The Weyburn Wor-Kin Shop announced grant funding for a new website, the setting up of a memorial bursary, and plans for either renovations or a new facility, at their annual general meeting held on Wednesday evening at the shop.

The Wor-Kin Shop also recognized two employees for 25 years' service, as they have been with the organization since 1983, Casey Kievits and Shelley Ziolkowski.

In announcing the coming new website for the Wor-Kin Shop, executive director Andria Brady explained how the funding has come about, noting they partnered with Sunrise Community Futures to apply for funding from the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program.

Wor-Kin Shop recently received notification that the funding to develop and maintain a new website was approved in full, said Brady, so work will begin within days, and the site should up and running by some time in October.

A fully functional and integrated website will be developed to promote the services and potential of the Wor-Kin Shop and their participants. It is believed part of the spinoff from the increased awareness will be an increased demand for services.

In paying tribute to the long-service employees, Brady noted both began in 1983 when the shop was at its former location on 10th Street.

Shelley began as the bookkeeper, and over the years has worked in the office and in their various programming areas. Currently, she runs the weekly lunch program, which includes grocery shopping to feed as many as 40 people.

"We got along like family, and it made it so much easier for me stay this long," said Shelley.

Casey oversees production in the wood shop and teachers the clients how to safely use the power tools, including power saws, air nailers, banding machines, painting and stencilling stakes, paper shredding and baling in the recycling area, and cutting the grass with the lawnmower.

A third person started with them, Marcel Cancade, as he was hired to supervise the clients who worked in the wood production area, and he worked in that department for several years. When Wor-Kin Ship moved to open a SARCAN depot, Marcel initially ran the depot from the 10th Street location, and was instrumental to helping move the agency to its current quarters on East Avenue near 17th Street.

Cancade died earlier this year on Feb. 27, so in tribute of his many years of work, the organization is establishing the Marcel Cancade Memorial Bursary, in the amount of $500 a year, available to students who successfully complete the Rehabilitation Worker Certificate Program offered through SIAST.

Earlier in the AGM, Brady gave her report on how the organization has fared in the past year, and noted there were developments in partnerships.

First, discussions were held with Community Living about the changing needs of their aging participants, and inadequacies of the funding structure for the Wor-Kin Shop. As a result, the Wor-Kin Shop was selected as one of three in the province to take part in the Day Program Funding Standards Task Force evaluation, which consisted of several months of in-depth tracking and reporting. The feedback on this study is expected very shortly.

Secondly, discussions were held with Mental Health Services about services Wor-Kin Shop had been providing to Mental Health clients under a 30-year-old agreement. With new negotiations, funding and support contracts were settled on and took effect on April 1.

There have also been strategic planning sessions held with the Weyburn Group Homes Society, Community Living and other stakeholders. It was determined the two agencies, Wor-Kin Shop and Group Homes Society, must work together, and to provide additional support to some high-needs participants, staff from the Group Homes Society are working alongside Wor-Kin Shop staff to help at the workplace.

In summarizing how the SARCAN depot has gone, Brady noted two employees, David Sweigard and Bobby King, were recognized for 10 years of service, and one other, Dennis Whitrow, received his five-year award.

The first full year of recycling electronics was completed with much higher volumes than originally anticipated, and the year ended with just shy of six million containers returned. This put the Weyburn depot at 18th out of the 71 depots around the province in terms of volume.

In the coming year, the board indicated they would like to see more volunteer members join their ranks, and plans will be finalized for either major renovations to their existing building, or to purchase or build a new facility "which would be fully handicapped accessible, have proper ventilation, lighting and sound proofing, and be safe and accommodating towards the participants' needs."

This year's board includes Pat Maloney, Kim Reeve, Deanne Miller-Jones, Gary Cooney and Ken Meckling.