In response to a fundraising appeal letter from Steinbach Community Christmas in October, Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) determined that it didn’t have any money to give, but decided that it could give of itself.
To that end, MVH—with the unanimous support of its staff and board—decided to give the local Christmas hamper drive more than 400 free season passes for local families, worth $20,000.
“Having a safe, historic, and beautiful place to go to regularly can help struggling parents provide calm and positive experiences for their children,” says Gary Dyck, MHV’s executive director.
“Studies have shown that museums, especially an outdoor museum like MHV, can provide well-being intellectually, socially, spiritually and physically. We want to be a go-to place when they need to get out of the house, when they need positive activity that will have lasting impact and when they may feel isolated.”
MVH offers visitors the opportunity to experience the story of the Russian Mennonites on its grounds.
Gary Dyck, left, MHV’s executive director, is pictured with Carolyn Peters, Steinbach Community Christmas hamper’s co-ordinator.
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