CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS, WCIT STYLE – Community Spotlight

Still looking for that special accent to complete your holiday décor? Visit the Waynedale Library to shop for a beautiful wreath and help support the Waynedale Corridor Project! 12 local businesses have decorated wreaths as part of a community silent auction that is sponsored by the Waynedale Community Improvement Team (WCIT). The wreaths will be on display by the windows through December 15. Winners will be notified by phone on Monday, December 18.

In another Holiday event sponsored by the WCIT, “Christmas in Waynedale” will be held at the Southwest Conservation Club, 5703 Bluffton Road, on Saturday, December 16th from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, treats and more. Bring your camera!

So, who or what exactly is the WCIT? Sounds like it should be an acronym for texting but it really is a team of dedicated individuals that have been bringing events such as those listed above, to the Waynedale Community since 2011.

The Waynedale Community Improvement Team is a group that spun off from a grant and workshop led by CANI, Community Action of Northeast Indiana. CANI had spent almost 50 years of helping people in the community when the name was changed to Brightpoint.

Brightpoint is a private, non-profit agency that promotes economic and community development by providing resources, helping people gain access to opportunities, and teaching them the skills they need to become self-sufficient. A leadership class was held in the Waynedale Community with several community leaders including Beulah Matzak and Alex Cornwell, leading an all-day workshop open to the community and hosted by Mount Calvary Lutheran Church.

At that meeting, a concern about sidewalks was among many ideas broached, and the Waynedale Trails and Sidewalks Initiative came about. Other projects that were identified included beautification, landscaping, lighting and access for those with physical challenges, all which will be addressed through the Waynedale Corridor that was recently adopted by the City of Fort Wayne as a 5 – 10-year project. Original member and founder of the Waynedale Picnic Beulah Matzak states, “One of the first initiatives of the WCIT was to provide additional opportunities for the community to come together in an organized fashion to fellowship with one another.”

Hence, the Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Waynedale Park has been an ongoing tradition since 2011. As was the first Christmas in Waynedale that was hosted at the lot that is now known as Verizon. In addition, the Annual Trunk or Treat that first appeared at the Southwest Conservation Club in 2013 as part of a Waynedale Fall Festival, just completed its fifth successful year at Kingston Residence.

The community can also thank the WCIT as it was the spark that ignited another progressive group promoting Waynedale, our Waynedale Business Chamber, that was founded in June of 2015. The goal was to create an organization for which business owners (or representatives thereof) come together to work on local projects and deal with local issues to cultivate, prosper and maintain the community we consider “Waynedale”. Since its inception, the Chamber has grown to 96 members!

We can certainly all be proud of the many improvements we are enjoying in our community, from the ramp connecting us to the St. Mary’s Pathway off Lower Huntington, to the Bluffton Road Trails and Sidewalks, The Business Chamber and our work in progress, the Waynedale Corridor. To get involved and support our forward momentum, please visit waynedale.com/wcit or search for Waynedale Community Improvement Team on Facebook. That is, right after you go place your bid on a wreath at the Waynedale Library. Have a blessed Christmas!