Le service d’action bénévole

 by Susan Fisch   (December 2016)

Volunteering is a Gift – to the recipient as well as to the giver. It is the full expression of a giving heart. People who, as individuals or as a group, give of their time and energy to help someone else or participate in a community endeavour where their sole remuneration is the satisfaction of having helped, having participated in providing a well being for others is the difference between a place to live and a community. Volunteering is the glue that makes a community rich and dynamic and wholesome.

A perfect example of this is the Community Luncheon that took place on the 9th of November and that was organized and prepared entirely by a group of dedicated volunteers of the Service d’Action Bénévole, headed by Pierre-Joseph Paradis, who took great pains to ensure that everything was going smoothly and who wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfection. The joyful dedication of this committee (did I hear singing in the kitchen?) was very well translated into a wonderful meal that celebrated the fall season: Velvety Squash Soup, Salad, Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole, and for dessert, Apple Crisp and Ice Cream. The United Church Hall was tastefully and welcomingly decorated and the 65 patrons that came for the meal provided some wonderful and positive feedback. Some of them even stayed to play Bingo after lunch.

We want to thank our sponsors who donated to our luncheon: Petch Orchards, Variétés Hemmingford, Magasin d’Antan, Bonichoix, Pharmacy Catherine Plamondon, Quincaillerie Rona, for their generosity and community spirit – and we mustn’t forget the Golden Age Club that loaned us their Bingo machine. We wish to thank our patrons for coming out and encouraging us and appreciating our efforts. And a heartfelt thank you to the volunteers who tirelessly provided their time, their energy and their enthusiasm to make this a wonderful event well worth repeating.

If you wish to be part of this wonderful team, and help with future community luncheons, please come and see us. There is always room for more volunteers. We are in the COOP building.