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Carollyne Hinde and Devonna Nagy have been nominated for the 2012 Minister's Seniors Service Awards.

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Local women nominated for Senior Service Awards

Three local women were named as nominees in the 2012 Minister’s Seniors Service Awards, May 18.

Carollyne Hinde and Devonna Nagy of Chestermere and Gwen Connon of Cochrane were among 75 people and organizations from across the province to be recognized for their annual contributions to Alberta’s seniors.

The winning nominees will be announced at a celebration on June 6, during Seniors’ Week.

“It is so important to celebrate the commitment and dedication of the many Albertans who support seniors,” said Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne. “Every single day, people around our province remind us of the incredible volunteer spirit present here in Alberta.”

Nominees are assessed according to their impact on seniors in their community, the need for the service they provide and the measure of diversity, quality and originality of their service.

“For 15 years, this awards program has recognized the generosity of individuals and organizations that serve our seniors and make a visible difference in our communities,” said Associate Minister of Seniors George VanderBurg.

Carollyne Hinde

Carollyne Hinde is a resident of Chestermere and has lived there for more than four years. She has been a member of the Whitecappers organization since moving to the community. She has served as treasurer and vice-president of the organization and is now president. She is also a member of the local cenotaph committee, and founded the Chestermere Regional Seniors Housing Initiative.

“I felt so very honoured to be nominated,” Hinde said. “I can’t really explain what it does for the soul when you hear that someone thinks so much of you, enough to put your name forward for an award.

“Win or lose, it felt really good, it’s always nice when someone acknowledges the work that you have done, and it encourages you to keep going.”

Hinde was nominated by Sherri Standish, program administrator for Chestermere Community Services. Standish said she nominated Hinde because of her positive attitude and the amount of work and volunteer time she contributes to seniors in her community.

“I decided to nominate her because of all of her years of hard work in Chestermere,” Standish said. “She does so much work for the seniors in the community in a number of different ways.”

Hinde said that being nominated has inspired her to put the names of others in for other awards, so they can feel the same appreciation.

Devonna Nagy

Devonna Nagy is a longtime resident of the Chestermere area, and has been volunteering in the community for more than 30 years. However, her work with the Everyday Angels, which she has been a part of for four years, is what earned her a nomination for the Seniors Service Awards.

The Everday Angels program matches volunteers with seniors in Chestermere to provide assistance with everything from lawn care and snow removal to delivering groceries, providing companionship. Nagy said that dropping in to visit or chat on the phone with other seniors in Chestermere and Langdon is something that she loves to do. She said she does so at least three times a week.

“I really enjoy (volunteering),” Nagy said. “I love to sit and visit with older people. Not that I’m a spring chicken, but I learn so much from these folks. They all have so much history and so many stories to tell, so it’s good. I enjoy it.”

Angela Normand, community resource coordinator in Chestermere, said she decided to nominated Nagy because of how often she volunteers her time and because of her giving personality.

“She puts herself out there no matter what and is always giving to others, and never expecting anything in return,” she said. “She has a heart of gold and has been an incredible volunteer.”