Giving back is a family affair for a Turner Valley trio.
Jerre Patterson and her grown children, Kolin and Kayla, have become familiar faces in the High Country area, volunteering for Turner Valley’s Discovery Day, haunted house and New Year’s Eve parties, and Millarville’s rodeo and chuckwagon events, as well as serving on numerous committees since moving to town five years ago.
“It’s kind of like our social thing,” said Patterson. “We don’t really go anywhere or go on any holidays. We like all the people that we volunteer with and people on the committees. We enjoy their company.”
Their volunteer efforts began shortly after moving to Turner Valley, when Patterson noticed a call for volunteers for the Town’s Discovery Day event.
“They were looking for help, so we thought why not?” she said. “The kids were too big to go to it.”
Despite working full time, Patterson said she and her children fit volunteerism into their lifestyle, from fostering animals to assisting with Guy Weadick Days in High River.
“We’re involved in a lot of things,” she said. “It’s like our holiday. It’s something different, a change.”
With her youngest daughter having Asperger’s syndrome, a development disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and non-verbal communication, Patterson thought getting out in the community volunteering would be a great experience for her.
She was right.
“It’s a way to get her involved because she’s not very good with people,” she said. “She’s very shy and now she’s not afraid to go out and talk to people and do stuff now.”
Helping one another is an ethos of the Pattersons for generations.
“I grew up in the country and most of the people around us we’ve known our whole lives,” she said. “Everybody always helped each other out. My dad was third generation there. Whenever a neighbour or family member needed anything he was always there.”
When Patterson moved to larger centres as an adult, she felt out of touch with that way of life.
“It was like you don’t even know your neighbours,” she said.
After moving to Turner Valley from Calgary, Patterson was eager to get that sense of community back and volunteerism was the way to do it.
“It’s a way to get to know more people in the community,” she said. “We’ve met some wonderful people.”
The Pattersons are also part of the culture in Millarville, assisting with the Millarville Hort Club’s plant sale and serving on several committees, including the rodeo committee and chuckwagon and chariot committee.
Monique LeBlanc, Turner Valley community service and business development manager, said the Pattersons’ contributions are invaluable.
“They help in every way possible including the cleaning up portion, which no one really likes to do, but they show up every time and do so always with a smile and a willingness to stay until the job is done,” she said.
LeBlanc said it’s wonderful to see their involvement as new residents.
“They pitch in wherever needed and are such kind and dedicated folks,” she said. “We truly appreciate all that Gerre, Kolin and Kayla do for us and can never thank them enough.”
