Tillsonburg Multi-Service Centre to celebrate 35th anniversary
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The Multi-Service Centre in Tillsonburg is celebrating a milestone this month, recognizing more than three decades of service in the community.
“It’s our 35th anniversary and we are celebrating it on Tuesday, June 25th at the Tillsonburg Community Centre,” said Maureen Vandenberghe, communications and development coordinator with the Multi-Service Centre (MSC). “It is a gala event with several features and the public is invited.”
The 35th anniversary agenda includes MSC’s Annual General Meeting, a social, silent auction in the Lions Auditorium, appreciation for volunteers, and special guest speaker Cheryl Pounder.
“Cheryl Pounder is a two-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist in women’s hockey,” said Vandenberghe. “A lot of times we’ve had separate appreciation events for our volunteers, we have to have an AGM, and we’ve attached a fundraiser or two in the past as well. We thought why not combine those things during this special year and have a really nice night with a great guest speaker?”
Silent auction items include Blue Jays tickets, Stratford tickets, summer vacation and entertainment packages including Wonderland and Marineland, golf packages, framed art, Kobo e-reader and accessories, gift certificates and cards, sports and fitness packages, picnic package, and a Canada Day gift package.
Karen Devolin, executive assistant at the Multi-Service Centre, said items in the silent auction will be displayed at the Tillsonburg Town Centre about a week prior to the gala event.
“We raised about $2,300 last year - it was all donations,” said Devolin. “So we’re hoping to do better than that this year.”
The 35th celebration will give the public a chance to learn more about the Multi-Service Centre, its volunteers, and the important services they provide to the community, noted Vandenberghe.
Several photo albums and displays highlighting the role of volunteers and their contributions to the community over the past 35 years will be available for viewing.
“It is because of volunteers that we’re here,” said Vandenberghe. “We are so pleased about the fact that John Armstrong will be providing a tribute to volunteers that evening. John was the first chair of the Multi-Service Centre 35 years ago, so he’s essentially our first volunteer and he can really speak to the importance of volunteerism.
“We always use these events as a vehicle to promote the value of community programming, salute volunteers and celebrate the investment in the community that volunteers really do make.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s minor hockey, Meals on Wheels, or a person who volunteers with their food program at their school. Volunteers do a lot that make our society a better place.
“I think it means investing in your community matters. If you provide services that people need, you stick around and you respond to your community, you will always have a presence. It wasn’t easy in the early days because there wasn’t guaranteed funding, services were delivered in county seats far away, and it was difficult in this tri-county area. People had a need but they didn’t know where to go. But through working with partners, volunteers and responding to those needs as best as we could, things started to grow and build.”
The very first service offered at the MSC was an information service. From there, said Vandenberghe, the first of ripple of senior services and programming began.
“Our employment and literacy programs were offered later in the future – we didn’t offer literacy and employment until the mid 1980s, after the community needs assessments determined there was a need.”
Through the tough early days there was steady progress, and dedicated volunteers and workers made the difference of the past 35 years. That is part of the Multi-Service Centre’s legacy as an organization, she said.
“That’s the key – you adapt, you respond, you evolve. And 35 years later, we’re still going.”
The 35th anniversary celebration is free of charge and open to the public, and will include food catered by Chrissy’s Catering and a cash bar.