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| A Volunteer Heart |
Alberta Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong presents Angie Crerar with her Caring Canadian award.
For the last 28 years Crerar has been helping others in her community by working with the local Friendship Centre. She also been the President of the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) local 1990 for the last ten years and she spearheaded the building of the Caring Centre for Elders, which opened its doors three years ago.
“Volunteering is very important to me because when I was down and out, when I was newly divorced with my eight children and moved to Grand Prairie, the people in that area helped me.” She said. “They helped me get back on my feet… supported me, gave me courage, they respected my efforts and they helped me.”
“The only way to repay it is by passing on the same gifts they shared with me and make a better life for everybody. It has been 28 years and I will go to my grave helping those people because they helped me find a happiness I live today.”
Crerar moved to Grande Prairie from Yellowknife looking for a fresh start. Although she knew nobody there, she wasn’t in town more than 12 hours before she was working as a taxi dispatcher (she had worked as one in Yellowknife as well). She quickly began making friends, but it took her a little longer to fit into the community
“It was scary - I will tell you, the scariest time in my life. I was taking a chance and I knew nobody – I didn’t even know the language. They all talk Cree there. But you know over time, and with friends I made it. Within a year I was being included in everything and people who knew I didn’t understand would start talking English to me. It took me a year to gain their respect. I worked hard at it because I wanted to be respected.”
She remembers that it was mainly the people from the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre who helped her feel so welcome and got her in a variety of programs, and that is why she spent so many years helping that or
“I have not had a smooth road in my life, but you know what, I am a happy woman because I have wonderful children. All my life dreams have happened, and it has been very rewarding when I look back and see what people can accomplish when they work together.”
The Award
This fall Angie Crerar was recognized for her years of volunteer work, particularly with the Caring Shelter for Elders, with a Caring Canadian award.
The award, an initiative of the Governor General, is awarded to “people who, for years, have voluntarily and quietly provided extraordinary help or care to others, behind the scenes, without remuneration or major recognition.”
The award was initiated in 1996 by the then Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, as a way to recognize the unsung heroes who spend much of their lives helping others and asking nothing in return. The award consists of a lapel pin and a certificate given by the Governor General or by a delegate such as a Lieutenant-Governor or a Territorial Commissioner.
On October 24 Crerar and four other Grande Prairie residents were given the award by the Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor, Norman Kwong, during a short ceremony in the Grande Prairie Museum.
Crerar was shocked when she found out she would receive the award
“I didn’t think I deserved it because no man stands alone,” she said. “People have to be recognized - like the committee, and the people who put their heart into the community.”
Crerar went on to say that there was a lot of volunteer support and help from industries and businesses in the community that went into the creation of the shelter.
“There are a lot of people who help us because we are not funded at all, but we do a lot of good work here, we have a wonderful, wonderful staff, and also the volunteers (we have a lot of volunteers – our office would not be open without our volunteers) and for that I am really grateful.” She said. “They are a tremendous, wonderful lot of people and I want to share this honour with them because it belongs to them more than it belongs to me.”
Seven of Crerar’s ten children, were able to join their mother for the celebration which made the day that much more special.
“That is my bloodline, that is my support, that’s my anchor, my rock of Gibraltar – my kids. I have ten wonderful kids, eight girls and two boys.”
The Shelter
It started with a survey done by the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre that indicated their was a large number of elderly in the city who were in need.
The reaction of the MNA Local 1990 – build a place where Elders without a home could find shelter and solace.
“It took a lot of hard work, but between the three government levels, municipal, provincial and federal, eventually we did have it built,” Crerar said. “There are a lot of people who help us because we are not funded at all”
There is also quit a bit of support from Grande Prairie businesses, she named off Weyehaeuser, Talisman, and the Army and Navy as just some of the companies who have lent a hand.
The shelter is an unassuming two storey building sitting on a corner lot that could easily be mistaken for an apartment block on the outside. On the inside there are 21 rooms, two laundry areas and two recreation rooms. The residents medical needs are taken care of and they are provided three meals a day. There are three permanent staff, and the rest of the work is done by volunteers, including board members who take turns working at the Shelter.
“Some of them are there until they get back on their feet, are able to work and get their own apartments and so” Crerar said. “They are where they want to be, and they can certainly stay there as long as they like – we don’t kick anybody out because all of a sudden they wake up one day and find a job.”
Like many places in Alberta, Grande Prairie has a lack of affordable housing, or any housing for that matter. There are not a lot of other places for these Elders to go, so they are welcome to stay at the shelter as long as they need.
The downside of this is that the shelter is running at full capacity, and there is already a waiting list in case any of the rooms do open up. Crerar hopes, that if the Board directs it, maybe one day they can build a second shelter.
“Our goal is to get another one a little different, where they have self sufficiency apartments of their own,” she said. “Some of them can do it, and it gives them great pride. We can never ever taker the pride away from our elders, so we help them to maintain their lifestyle, but we have to do it at their own pace.”
Photo and Story by Monique Devlin |
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Telephone (780)455-2200 Toll-Free Alberta (800)252-7553 Fax
(780)452-8946
100-11738 Kingsway Ave, Edmonton, AB T5G 0X5
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