Clara Hooper has been volunteering for 20 years at Central elementary, and that dedication was recently recognized.
Hooper was given a cheque for $1,000, made out to Central Elementary Community School Society after three people at Central nominated her for a First West Credit Union volunteer award called Simple Generosity. The cheque was presented via Envision Financial on Wednesday.
“Clara is volunteer extraordinaire,” says Leslie Waddington, principal at Central. “She sits on our community school board for central elementary and has been instrumental in things happening there. She is a huge part of our inner-city community.”
She was nominated by Waddington plus two parents at the school.
Hooper is a community volunteer with Central’s Parent Advisory Committee and has assisted in getting new playground equipment for the school, organizing fundraisers, plus co-ordinating the school’s 85th and 90th anniversary celebrations. She’s also on the school’s board of directors.
Her two children, now 24 and 25 years old, went to Central, as did her husband. Despite the fact that her sons haven’t been in the school system for years, her passion for children and education remains and she continues to volunteer in School District 33.
She found out about the award just before Christmas and says she was in “disbelief” when she heard.
First West Credit Union hands out 52 Simple Generosity awards annually in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Delta, Hope, Kitimat, Langley, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Mission and Surrey.
Past Chilliwack recipients include Jacqui Nelmes who donated hers to Ruth and Naomi’s Mission, Chilliwack Salvation Army Care and Share Centre, and Cystic Fibrosis Canada; and the 60 volunteers at Sardis Doorway for Mother and Children who donated to their society.
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