Doris Walton was humbled after being selected as the Outstanding Individual Volunteer at the annual Osoyoos Volunteer Appreciation Awards. Councillors Sue McKortoff (left) and Michael Ryan, along with Mayor Stu Wells (far right), announced the winners Saturday. Photo by Keith Lacey.
Doris Walton said helping others comes as naturally to her as breathing.
“I just love people and lending a helping hand whenever I can,” said Walton, who humbly accepted the Outstanding Individual Volunteer Award at the Osoyoos Volunteer Appreciation and Awards Ceremony held Saturday afternoon at the Sonora Community Centre.
“This is a small community, but we have a lot of excellent people who live here who like to volunteer and help make this such a great place to live.”
Walton has been donating thousands of hours to the community for more than two decades. She has been an active volunteer with Soroptomists International for 25 years and has spent 20 years volunteering with the Osoyoos Food Bank. She continues to assist in the preparation and distribution of food and for Meals on Wheels, where she helps co-ordinate drivers and delivering food. She has also spent more than 15 years volunteering her time assisting seniors in Osoyoos.
Volunteering your time and energy to help others is a wonderful way to stay active and contribute to your community, said Walton.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people and had a lot of fun doing it, so I think I get as much out of it as the people I’m trying to help,” she said.
Being named the top individual volunteer in the community is something she will never forget, she said.
“I am very honoured by this and this really means a lot to me,” she said humbly, while being congratulated by numerous friends and acquaintances.
Mayor Stu Well said Walton was a deserving winner of the award.
“Doris has become well-known for her fundraising efforts,” he said. “She is a charter member of the Soroptomists club and has helped with a number of special projects, such as the annual Rocking Horse Raffle, the Breakfast With Soroptomists Fashion Show and Chez Femme Dinner and Fashion Show.
“She has consistently sold the most pages for www.sunnyosoyoos.com., which is the largest fundraiser for Soroptomists International and helps fund most of their projects.
“In addition to her work with Soroptomists International, the Osoyoos Food Bank and Meals on Wheels, Doris takes an active role in assisting seniors. She drives them to appointments, helps them with their shopping and checking up on them on a regular basis. Doris makes is possible for many of these seniors to remain living in their homes. Doris has worked hard to help many community members and the Town of Osoyoos is truly fortunate to have her as part of the community,” said Wells.
Others nominated for the award included Teagan Adams, Laura Slater, Jessie Smythe, Jurgen Reinhards, Harold King, Danny Barr, Lillian Sutton and Terry Dawson.
The winner of the Outstanding Community Group Award went to Choosing Wellness, an organization that assists seniors in getting quality medical care by conducting weekly blood pressure clinics and providing counselling and support.
Elli Jakubovski, a founding member of the organization starting back in 1988, said being nominated and selected the winner was an honour for every volunteer with Choosing Wellness.
“It’s all about helping people and providing a valuable service because we’ve helped save lives as some seniors come in and don’t realize how high their blood pressure is,” she said. “We send them off to the doctors and they get the help they need there.”
The weekly clinics, held at the Cactus Centre on Kingfisher Drive every Thursday afternoon, often draw up to 60 or 70 seniors, she said.
“When we’re really busy in the winter, we might get 70 people in one day, so we know we’re providing a service people need,” she said.
Other nominees included the Osoyoos Concert Series, Osoyoos Lake Lion’s Club, Osoyoos Secondary and Elementary School Breakfast Program, South Okanagan Minor Hockey Association, Community Sustainability Action Team and Osoyoos Quilt Guild.
The winner of the Best Volunteer Project Award went to Soroptomists International’s Safe Teen project.
The Safe Teen project started in 2009 and has been an ongoing project for the local Soroptomist’s club ever since.The focus is on gender esteem building for high school students and teaches youth about healthy relationships and how to handle verbal and physical violence. The program is offered at three area high schools, including Osoyoos Secondary School.
Retired teacher and town councillor Sue McKortoff said the program helps provide youth with the tools and skills to be able to stand up for themselves and avoid potentially dangerous situations in a non-violent and effective manner.
Osoyoos Secondary’s program last year had great results, she said.
“Teachers, school counsellors and students found the program extremely beneficial with no negative comments on the experience,” she said.
Numerous testimonials from students made it clear just how beneficial the Safe Teens program has become, she said.
Other nominees included the Osoyoos Elks Bingo, Kiwanis Club’s Share the Christmas Spirit program, Kiwanis Club’s Next Step program, the Community Sustainability Action Team’s Community Sustainability Plan and Community Action for Senior’s Independence (CASI) program.
The outstanding Council Appointed Committee Task Force Member Award was given to the Community Sustainability Action Team, created in January 2011 to create an integrated community plan for the Town of Osoyoos. The long-term plan strives to ensure economic viability, environmental protection and community life enrichment.
Wells said every volunteer deserves recognition for doing outstanding work and helping others enjoy a better quality of life.
“We need to remind ourselves that volunteering is another component in our busy lives,” he said.
“This is where important personal decisions are made and personal emotions are felt.
“There is a place where government ends and citizen associations take over. Governments can and do deliver services such as transportation, health and education services, but governments can’t deliver personal relationships, identity, a sense of belonging, family or sporting opportunities. It’s the volunteers who build the community in this way.
“Today we are taking this opportunity to celebrate your hard work and spirit of giving. We thank you sincerely for all the good work you do for others in the Town of Osoyoos.”
Following a nice lunch, the awards ceremony kicked off with numerous Certificates of Apprecation being handed out by McKortoff, Ryan and Wells.
Once the major awards were handed out, Wells took the time to thank town employee Sarah Dynneson, who works at the Sonora Centre, for doing an outstanding job in organizing the volunteer appreciation awards.
Wells handed Dynneson a lovely bouquet of flowers for all of her hard work.
