Rhona O'Hara

Recipient of the 2011 Burgess Volunteerism Award

Congratulations Rhona on your award! Here is the speech honouring your work in the community:

Rhona O'Hara has a talent for entertaining with stories from her life, whether tales from her years of growing up in Taymouth, memories from her days as a teacher or wonderful little snippets of time enjoying her grandchildren. She will always leave you with a smile.This important skill of storytelling helps weave the fabric of our community. Market goers will tell you she brightens their day with her positive attitude not to mention the tasty treats she often offers. She is sometimes the calm voice in a lively discussion, offering new ideas like a "healthy breakfast menu" or a new approach to an old task.

Rhona is knowledgeable in community living skills practiced by our fore bearers. You feel comfortable sitting beside her even if you are new to the community. She favours talking to you directly or calling you by phone if she has a job for you to do. She enjoys people watching and sharing her gentle observations. Uninterested in electronic communication or calculation, she does math in her head or with a pencil and paper. Her reports are put down in beautiful long hand, a fading art. She enjoys the community feeling at markets, concerts, supper s and it is in her bones to participate in the work of putting on such events. She is a "good Old Fashion Country girl' whose family and community are very important to her. She is a devoted wife, loving Mother, a proud Grandmother and a true volunteer. We know this because she once said "although I can only do so much I really enjoy helping out at all the events that go on at the Community Centre". If there is one word to describe Rhona it is predictable. When she is setting up her market table you can hear her say "I wonder what I forgot to bring today?" and then she will laugh at herself. Of course it isn't any wonder that she forgets something because she has such a variety of things on her table. She is an excellent cook, a really good seamstress and has a knack of making old things look knew.

Rhona played a huge part in the TCA's original fundraising, canvassing many homes along Route 8. From the get-go she felt very strongly that a community centre would be good for the area. She takes on tasks for a majority of our yearly events, such as cooking for fundraising meals and selling tickets at the door. For years she went the extra mile and regularly cleaned the Taymouth Community Centre building. She worked alongside Connie as co-chairperson of the Market Committee from its beginning in 2003, helping to get it off the ground and make it all it is today. In 2009 she became Market Chairperson for a two year term and did an excelling job. She was instrumental in organizing the entertainment at market and broadened the market volunteer base by creating a set-up and tear-down roster. Last summer she introduced the wonderful idea of celebrating New Brunswick Day by offering patrons and vendors foods and products made in New Brunswick. We had a record crowd and it was our most successful market to date. Rhona's vision, wisdom, humour, commitment, and skills have helped shape the spirit and accomplishments of the TCA as it is today. Thus we were delighted to present Rhona O'Hara with the 2011 Burgess Volunteerism Award.