Dartmouth, Nova Scotia — Family, friends, political leaders and supporters gathered at a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to honour three inspiring leaders on May 26, 2017. The event was organized by the Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake public affairs council and hosted by the Dartmouth and Cole Harbour Wards.
Community Values Awards are given annually by local area leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to those who make a difference through their outstanding community contributions. “We hope that bringing the exemplary work of these individuals to light will unify the community and build stronger relationships,” says Anna Davison, Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake public affairs director.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The Family Values Award went to journalist Joanne Oostveen, who said she was “privileged to have been able to tell the stories of many people in our community. Far too often newsworthy articles are seen as those that open your eyes to crime and despair, but our community is much more than that. There are people, organizations and families that work to bring joy and cohesiveness to Dartmouth.” Oostveen is also part of organizations that she considers family: the children’s water safety program Swim to Survive (which she teaches across Nova Scotia for the Royal Lifesaving Society), her dragon boat–paddling family, her marathon-running family and her Catholic Church family.
The team that runs Margaret’s House, the only soup kitchen in Dartmouth, received the You Make a Difference Award. The Margaret’s House staff, volunteers and donors make a difference in the daily lives of those who come to the soup kitchen for a delicious meal, a friendly welcome and a warm smile. Margaret’s House board member Douglas Livingstone introduced the soup kitchen’s passionate co-ordinator Karen Goudie, who accepted the award on behalf of Margaret’s House. Livingstone said Goudie is “the queen bee at the centre of all the activity.” Goudie paid tribute to the vast numbers who provide support for the hungry and lonely.
Philanthropist Cherryl Oake was honoured with the Humanitarian Service Award. Oake saw a need and initiated a project to assist four Syrian refugee families in Dartmouth. As each of those families shared their experiences with other refugee families, Oake’s service project expanded to assist more than 60 families. Even with a full-time job and a part-time, home-based travel business, Cherryl found the time to organize and lead a team to help these families. This team has furnished homes, provided warm clothing and developed a network to help the refugees assimilate into their new communities.
David G. Evans, the Dartmouth Nova Scotia Stake president, concluded the Community Values Awards program by praising those who were acknowledged for doing their good works and by encouraging all to do more.