April 6, 2009 issue
Venture gives second chances
Used-book store, café in Winnipeg opens to benefit MCC
By Gladys Terichow Mennonite Central CommitteePage:
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WINNIPEG, Man. — Sam’s Place, a non-profit used-book store, café and performing arts venue, opened last month in a newly renovated building in the Elmwood area of Winnipeg.
Tim Collins, left, and Jon McPhail are the manager and chef, respectively, of Sam’s Place, a used-book store, café and performing arts venue that opened last month in Winnipeg, Man., to raise funds for Mennonite Central Committee. — Photo by Joanie Peters/MCC
The project, run mainly by volunteers, will raise funds for Mennonite Central Committee. But Sam’s Place is much more than a fundraising initiative, said Tim Collins, who manages the place.
“We want Sam’s Place to be an inviting, warm and safe place,” he said. “We want this to be a destination, a meeting place for people — a meeting place with a heart.”
“Sam” is actually a life-size wood carving of a Komodo dragon — the world’s largest lizard — that sits prominently in the building as a sort of mascot. It may not be alive, but it helps customers with menu selections and book selections through “Sam’s Picks,” Collins said.
Sam the dragon is one of the many things that sets Sam’s Place apart from other business ventures, said Collins, whose company is helping MCC develop and manage the project.
Thousands of used books line the shelves on the main floor.
Jon McPhail, an experienced baker and chef, is providing the food services in a 60-seat restaurant that serves locally grown food and Fair Trade products.
A stage and sound system gives emerging artists a venue for performances and a place to sell their CDs, self-published books and art.
Countless volunteers renovated the building. Some came from Forward House, a halfway house for men with criminal records, who donated thousands of hours of work, Collins said.
“They have bought into the vision that this is a safe, warm inviting place for everyone,” he said. “I’m hoping they will be back to listen to the entertainment, take part in the classes and perform.”
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