Good evening everyone. My name is Rosa Sevy. It’s my honour to present
this year’s Mary Affleck Volunteer Recognition Award
Each year at our AGM, PIRS presents this award to an outstanding
volunteer who reflects the spirit of Mary Affleck, to whom the award is
named. The Mary Affleck Award was inaugurated in 1994, in memory of the
late Mary Affleck who was a dedicated PIRS volunteer for almost 15 years.
PIRS remembers Mary for her generosity, kindness and commitment to
make a difference in others lives.
This year PIRS is presenting this award to a wonderful woman who
embodies all the qualities that this recognition stands for. Having gone
herself through the challenges of being a young immigrant mother in
Canada, this special lady has devoted her life to protecting and advancing
women’s rights to equality and ending violence against women. Now
retired, she worked for close to 16 years in the Provincial Court and then
for 12 years at the Supreme Court of BC as a Senior Family Justice
Counsellor supporting many families from very different cultural and ethnic
backgrounds.
In addition to this important job, this award recipient has done extensive
volunteering in the community, giving her time and commitment to
organizations such as Burnaby Life Institute, MOSAIC, where she was on
the Board for 7 years and President in the final year, similarly for the Mavis
Mcmullen Housing Society.
In 2011, PIRS was very privileged to have her join the Board. When this
organization received the funding for the Moving Ahead Program, she
stepped down from as a Board member in order to support us settlement
workers as our case supervisor.
It has been a real privilege to be mentored by someone who brings
together not only her professional expertise derived from a lifetime devoted
to working in social services and settlement sector, but also her wisdom,
kindness and compassion.
Every meeting with her is an opportunity to learn, to envision creative ways
of supporting our clients to empower themselves, to have a space where
we can share the challenges and rewards embedded in our daily work, to
be reminded that we are not alone in the valuable work we do, to be
inspired by someone who cares for our clients as much as we do.
Every meeting with her makes us feel re-energized and more determined to
give our best to our clients. We never could have asked for a more
dedicated supervisor.
Through her spirit of giving, this remarkable woman has made a difference
in many people’s lives for the past 30 years--- a lifetime of free giving.
Her altruism brings to my mind what Winston Churchill once said:
We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.
It is my greatest pleasure to present this special award to: Elizabeth
Briemberg. Please join me in honoring this very special lady.
Elizabeth, Thank you so much for all of your hard work
It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with you and to bear witness of your
passion and commitment to make a difference in women’s lives.
Thank you.