Harper honours Fort Richmond woman

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/03/2015 (4083 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give,” is a quote often
attributed to Winston Churchill.

On March 18, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, honoured 17 Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards recipients at a ceremony in Toronto. My wife, Rev. Dr. Deborah Olukoju, a Fort Richmond resident, is this year’s Prime Minister’s Volunteer Award recipient for the Prairies in the community leadership category.

According to the Awards Secretariat, “The awards highlight best practices in community leadership and encourage partnerships across sectors”, and that “the best solutions to the challenges facing Canada’s communities are often found locally.”

Therefore, “the goal of the awards is to inspire Canadians from all walks of life to find new ways of making a difference in their communities.”

The government recognizes “the enormous contributions volunteers, innovative not-for-profit organizations and forward thinking businesses make to their communities through voluntary
contributions and innovative ideas and approaches to address social challenges.”

High-level recognition of this nature is a great gift to get for one’s act of giving.

☐ ☐ ☐

Pembina Active Living (PAL) is on the move! Given space constraints at Grace Christian Church (50 Barnes St.), PAL needs its own home.

PAL provides seniors with week-day, evening and week-end programming, including the opportunity to spend some Sunday evenings having dinner and playing some indoor games with friends.

Acquiring its own home will enhance PAL’s place in the community. Social interaction among seniors will be promoted as PAL provides nine community programs.

PAL now has charitable status and is looking to the community for private donations, sponsorship, patrons and skilled volunteers.

One way to help the organization achieve its goal of a new home is to attend the PAL fundraising dinner on April 14 at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology at 130 Henlow Bay.  

Tickets are $60 with a $30 charitable receipt. For more information, call 204-946-0839, email info@pal55.com or visit pal55plus.com

Sunday Olukoju is a community correspondent for Fort Richmond. You can contact him at sunday.olukoju@gmail.com