When people in the area first heard that they were losing immediate access to their local paper, they were horrified. How would everybody stay connected? This weekend, I discovered part of the answer.
Attending Sunday service at the Rockburn Presbyterian Church, I was impressed by how close the congregation was—how in touch with one another’s lives they were. While The Gleaner is doing its best to ensure that the Chateauguay Valley is represented, I believe that the communities found within the churches in the area are doing a fantastic job of keeping everybody in the loop while the paper works out the kinks during this transition period.
On Friday August 14th, I attended the annual garage sale, put on by the St-Malachie Church in Ormstown. I was amazed at the turnout, and the bevy of volunteers available to help browsers sort through their newfound treasures. The event, which celebrated its 35th year this past Saturday, raised close to 14,000 last year alone—which, as you can imagine, helps out the church monumentally (and in turn, the community). This year, they brought in nearly 15,500
Take Beryl Myatt, for example. On August 10th to the 13th, she volunteered her time to host Bible Vacation Camp at the Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church—which was eagerly attended by nearly 52 children and 14 volunteers. The camp, which is hosted annually by one of three churches, has been running for nearly 50 years. It consists of three days full of games, stories and activities open to children ranging from three to 12 years of age. In truth, while these activities provide fun and a social setting for our children to thrive in, it is also these events that lay the foundation for the congregation’s next generation—who are in turn, forthcoming community members, essential to the future of the Chateauguay Valley.
These volunteers, who so eagerly support their churches through a seemingly endless donation of time, are pillars within our community. They smile tirelessly as they bake artisanal goods, sort through bags of donations—not to mention waking up at an unimaginable hour to donate their time to a cause they believe is essential to the survival of not only their church, but their community. And you know what? They aren’t wrong. In fact, I believe that it’s these types of people that are what’s right in the world—not to mention, our community.
