A community workshop inside the former Sears in Chatham has been given an extension to continue using the space until the end of summer.
The space, known as 'The Shop," started after the owners of the Downtown Chatham Centre (DDC) provided it free of charge to the Gift and Chatham Goodfellows over the 2021 holiday season for donation sorting.
Spokesperson Brent Wilken said the space created itself after volunteers realized that the momentum from their holiday outreach continued to grow after the holidays.
"I believe the Shop truly encompasses what Come Together CK is all about - a non-judgemental space where people have the freedom to participate at any level," said Wilken. "The DDC being a part of this and believing in everyone enough to make this huge commitment has made this not only possible but stronger. I'm learning more than ever from people from all walks of life coming together in this space."
The space has been created into a workshop where people go can in to create work, learn woodshop skills, and more. Wilken said the group also spreads out across the downtown area to pick up garbage, sweep sidewalks, and improve the general cleanliness of the area.
"On any given day you might find people creating art, a barbecue fired up outside, an MIT grad giving a workshop, really, a number of activities," said Wilken. "Several of the DCC owners were considering other long-term plans, but after being invited to meet the volunteers, the owners realized this was a unique initiative."
Looking forward, Wilken said he would like to see this workshop move into a bigger space after their time is up at the DCC.
"We believe strongly in this community, especially in our downtown core, which is why we continue to support initiatives like Come Together CK and Goodfellows," said DCC Co-owner Peter Tsirimbis. "We want to see our downtowns be successful, especially as we come out of the pandemic. Seeing the good work at The Shop really opened our eyes to some of the unsung heroes doing just that."