To provide a bit of background information, Veith House was the Halifax Protestant Orphanage beginning in 1867. It was destroyed in 1917 in the Halifax explosion, where all of the orphans and staff lost their lives. The orphanage was rebuilt and continued to operate as an orphanage until 1969, when it was renamed the Veith House Community Centre.
Since 1969, Veith House has provided a wonderful resource to the community of North End Halifax. On top of hosting a CAP site, it also provides a preschool, counselling, in-home parenting and advocacy services. On the third floor, it also hosts the Veith Street Gallery.
This building is beautiful and possesses a very rich history. The sense of community that can be felt within these walls is indescribable. People come here for all sorts of different reasons; all from unique backgrounds but still sharing a profound connection to the area.
A building that brings people together in such a way should be recognized and celebrated for the impact it has on the lives of families and community members. Many people are unaware of the existence of Veith House and the wonderful resources it provides. I've been lucky enough to have worked here for two years now, and each and every person I've met has had a story to tell that's affected me in some way.
As a CAP intern, I feel responsible to communicate everything Veith House has to offer to the public, via internet. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do it much justice given the resources we have. If we had a flip cam, I could begin to actually show people exactly what this historic building means to the community.
As I've learned, there are many here who are interested in commenting on the building and the different ways in which they use it. This would be perfect for making short documentaries about community centres and the enormous effects they have on the people who use them. There are a number of things that go on at Veith House that could be filmed - community events, support group sessions, preschool trips and concerts. As well, there are a number of individuals who use the CAP site that would love to share their stories on why the site is important to them.
I'm sure we can all agree that showing is better than telling - and, as I mentioned, the real atmosphere of this building is something that can't be described.
