A big congratulations goes out to Inge and Gordon Gray who are this year’s winners for the Hope Heart Hero Award.
The Hope Healthy Living Fair took place in Hope last Saturday (April 22) and with it came the crowning of the Hope Heart Hero Award — an award that honours those who have made a significant contribution to Hope. Over the past month, until April 17, residents of Hope had the chance to nominate volunteers who’ve made a great difference in Hope.
This year’s award, which was presented by the 2020 winner Ed Thomas, was won by the Grays who were quite surprised to even be nominated.
“It’s a great honour for us but it was a surprise. We weren’t expecting anything,” Gordon said. “Not everyday you get recognized for what you’re doing. But we don’t consider that we’re doing anything extraordinary. We’re just helping people.”
According to the Hope Healthy Living Committee, who put on the fair and award, Inge and Gordon were nominated and chosen for all the work they had done during the pandemic. During this time, the couple, who volunteers once a week with the Community Food Resource Centre, had delivered meals to those shut-in during the lockdown, regardless of the weather — at one time making 30 deliveries.
The nomination submission (which was submitted by another Hope resident) also went on to explain that the couple still continues to deliver food and that they take the time to visit with clients. Furthermore, when not making deliveries, they drive for Care Transit and “are so giving of their time. Even when they had fallen ill, or had an illness, they still show up.”
Despite this impressive show of compassion and charity, the couple insists that there were other volunteers just as deserving of the award.
“We’re happy to help in our community,” Inge said. “It brings a lot of joy to us to be able to bring joy to other people. We go out and bring food and try to help some of these folks. We have also helped other than delivering food to them. There’s some that we take to town. So, we help where we can and that’s what it is. We like to help where we can.
“When you give yourself to help others, the blessing comes back to you. It’s a way to be unselfish. You’re not just thinking about yourself, but you’re thinking about other people. And it’s important to reach out to other people.”
A fixture in Hope for at least two decades, the Hope Healthy Living Fair first started off as a way to educate and encourage people to be more proactive when getting flu shots. Over the years, the fair has expanded to informing the community about the health services available to them, which includes mental health services, and providing information on how to introduce healthier habits and routines into their life.
This year’s fair, which was hosted by HATS’s Sexualized Violence Response Team and Fraser Health, took place at the Coquihalla Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the theme being “spring into health.” Funded in part by the Hope Health and Well-Being Initiative, admission was free and people were able to partake in mini workshops, peruse health and wellness service provider booths, and browse the artisan market — which is a new addition to the fair.
In addition to this, the fair also hosted Yvette John, an Indigenous Elder from the Stó:lo Nation, who gave a presentation about food and plants, through an Indigenous perspective, and provided a workshop on making medicine bundles.
READ MORE: Hope Healthy Living Fair hosting Yvette John and presenting Hope Heart Hero Award
@KemoneMoodley
kemone.moodley@hopestandard.com
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