The importance of volunteerism to the community was recognized May 21 during the annual Ontario Volunteer Service Award Ceremony at the Retro Suites.
Seventy-nine individuals from across Chatham-Kent were nominated through their organizations for recognition through the Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat of the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
Laurie Raynor Langford, who served as the keynote speaker, said volunteerism was key to becoming part of the local community when she moved here from Toronto in 1996.
“I didn’t know anyone here other than my husband’s family so I became involved as a way of learning about Chatham,” she said.
Langford has made numerous significant contributions to the arts community since 1996, most recently as the treasurer of the Chatham-Kent Arts and Culture Network. “I didn’t have experience as a treasurer, so it has allowed me to grow. Volunteering has made me a better person.”
Raynor Langford said she began in the Girl Guide movement, inspired by her grandmother from Prince Edward Island who was named the top volunteer in Canada for the Women’s Institute.
“My grandmother lived to be 104 years old and I think she was volunteering until she was 100,” she said. “Being involved and active contributes to a fuller life.”
Trevor Jones, MPP for Chatham-Kent–Leamington, who made presentations to the volunteers, lauded the importance of the volunteer sector.
“It was through my volunteer efforts growing up that I was recommended as a good candidate for the Ontario Province Police where I had a 20-year career,” he said. “Volunteering is the foundation of society. We all have a unique story but our common goal as volunteers is to improve the lives of others.”
Nearly 1,700 years of volunteer service was celebrated during the ceremony, one of 46 held across Ontario.
