The Pontiac is blessed with many volunteer organizations that do crucial work to make life here better than it would otherwise be, organizations staffed by people who donate their time and are funded, in large part, by donations.
Their volunteer work provides rallying points around which the community comes together to raise funds for charitable causes, provide needed social services that aren’t otherwise available, build connections between residents around shared interests, or just to have fun at large events.
Some well-known examples would include the annual Terry Fox Run to raise funds for cancer research, the many good works of service clubs such as the Lions, Lionettes and Rotary, the recreational and sport associations that organize activities for people of all ages, the civic organizations, such as the Pontiac Agricultural Society, that produce some extraordinary events across the region, the 4-H and its great work nurturing the development of youth, various groups like the Maison de la Famille, Maison des Jeunes and Jardin Éducatif du Pontiac, among others, that do so much in support of children, students and families, the Pontiac Scholarship Fund which supports students pursuing higher education, Bouffe Pontiac that makes healthy food available to more people, Pride Pontiac for representing the LGBTQ community, Animal Aide Pontiac for finding homes for stray animals, and the Pontiac Historical Society for valuing and helping to preserve the heritage of the area.
These are but a few examples in an undoubtedly incomplete list of the many volunteer efforts across the Pontiac. Each, in its own right, makes a valuable contribution and is worthy of celebration. Taken together, the work and resources brought to bear by Pontiac’s volunteer sector makes an astounding contribution to the quality of life in our area.
While there are ceremonies to honour individual and group efforts, by and large, they don’t get the credit they truly deserve, and there are many unsung heroes. Much of their work is done behind the scenes, often isn’t glamorous and can easily go unnoticed. Yet it is essential.
Without these organizations, their volunteer work forces and the people willing to donate to them, this would be a much different place. They work for the common good and for no personal gain, responding to human needs that would otherwise fall through the cracks between what the free market and three levels of government seem able to provide, laying the foundations on which many positive things are built.
It reflects well on the whole community that volunteerism is alive and well in our midst, and finds the sustenance required to carry on. But some days are better than others. There are times when many of these organizations are able to carry on only through the fortitude and determination of some very committed people who dig deeper than they ever thought they could to keep things going because they are all too aware of the human cost of the discontinuation of their services.
Even for those of us not directly on the receiving end of the work they do, we must recognize that we are all much better off living in a society where there is greater well-being experienced by more of our fellow citizens than would otherwise be the case, thanks to the work done by the local volunteer sector.
For this we should all be grateful. Even better, we all need to do our part whenever we can to support any of these many worthy causes, be it with an expression of thanks, a monetary contribution or by showing up to do anything from licking stamps to some of the heavy lifting. It feels good and is a big part of what continues to make life here great.
