At the Rady JCC, we hope everyone finds their place.
Staying active and healthy means more than just working out. It means feeling like your family has been welcomed into a community.
One such family is the Sammurtoks.
Having moved to Winnipeg from Nunavut just 18 months ago, the Rady JCC made them feel at home in an unfamiliar city.
“We searched for a place where we not only felt welcome but also a place we could get lessons for the children,” mom, Mandy Sammurtok said. “In our case, that was badminton for Elijah and swimming for Clifford. We found that at Rady and more.”
Transitioning from life in Nunavut to the city has been a big adjustment for the children, and the Rady JCC has helped ease that challenge.
“Rady provides a sense of community that helps us feel more at home, especially the boys, who spent the majority of their lives in Nunavut,” Mandy adds.
“Elijah enjoys participating in the badminton program and Clifford enjoys swimming. Although those two activities were the reasons we joined Rady, the boys have also begun personal training with Alex, which they look forward to. It helps them stay active and healthy.”
Mandy has also benefitted herself –beginning an exercise program in the pool – in a community she feels comfortable participating.
“Rady has made me feel welcome, despite my weight,” Mandy says. “Rady gives us the same sense of community that we had back home, in Nunavut, now in the city.”