Pond View Drive

Large rural families are living in buildings that would be condemned if a building inspector made a visit.

This was Shirley Redekop’s urgent message to the Beyond Housing annual meeting in November, 2007. Shirley, a Rural Outreach Worker, was well qualified to make such a strong statement. On her caseload were mainly large Low German families many living in sub-standard housing conditions.

Two years later a seven-year-old girl responded to her Wellesley public school teacher’s question: “What do you like best about your new home?” Her immediate answer was: “I like that it is warm.”

With input from Shirley and five other advocates during the summer of 2008, Beyond Housing was encouraged to apply for governmental funding to assist in building eight dwelling units for large rural families. A year later, in June 2009, Beyond Housing received funding to help build two Wellesley semis (four units) in the Pond View subdivision. Work began in August, accelerated by a barn-raising blitz during the September long weekend by Old Colony Mennonite Church volunteers. It was a service project by 30 men from their Virgil, Aylmer, Crosshill and Drayton churches.

Contributing further to making this a special experience were the donors of building and landscaping materials as well as significant discounts from some of the trades. Many volunteers also provided hands-on assistance during the construction period.

By January 2010 four families had settled into their new four-bedroom homes. One of the mothers shared with Beyond Housing that the day after her family had moved in all members reported a great boost to their morale. “We all feel better physically and emotionally,” she reported. “We are so grateful to be living here.”

Footnote 1: The six advocates who were instrumental in producing the information that demonstrated the level of need all interacted daily with Low German families. Beyond Housing would like to acknowledge the great value of the services of:

• Lily Hiebert Rempel, MCC Ontario Low German Co-ordinator
• Shirley Redekop and Sue Martin, Rural Outreach Workers under the auspices of Mosaic Counseling and Family Services
• Brenda Gingerich and Esther Janzen, Family Support Workers and interpreters with the St. Jacobs Family Support Centre for Low German Families
• Peggy Snyder, nurse-practitioner, based in Linwood and Wellesley, under the Woolwich Community Health Centre

Footnote 2: Among the many rich blessings experienced by Beyond Housing in the Wellesley project was the willingness of Murray Leis to serve as Project Manager in lieu of a general contractor.

Under Murray’s excellent leadership, involving the co-ordination of trades and volunteers, the project finished on time and virtually on budget. Assisted by his wife, Marilyn, they are the owners of Murray Leis Construction and members of Crosshill Mennonite Church. Murray was also is a Director on the Board of Beyond Housing at the time of construction.