All summer Bonnie St. John cruised the yard and garage sales of Mississippi Mills. She shared the news that she was willing to take leftover stock for a weekly sale at her home in Almonte. A tireless recycler, reducer, and re-user Bonnie offered up these surplus items for sale with proceeds to help in the revamping of Augusta Street (the people’s) Park. Her summer-long garage sales raised over $2,200 for the park. Now that garage sale season has passed she’s got a new vocation delivering EMC newspapers on a route in Almonte. Bonnie loves her dogs and can often be seen walking three dogs; two of hers and one as a dog walker for a neighbour. Now all four, Bonnie and her three canine buddies, will be delivering papers each week at fifteen cents per paper with the proceeds going to the park. “The town is so lucky to have such a strong committee committed to fixing up Augusta Street Park” said Parks and Rec Director, Calvin Murphy, “Bonnie’s efforts to raise this money for the park are amazing.”
Our town is blessed with people who share their skills, gifts, and talents. Every now and then a volunteer comes along who is one of those special, positive people who truly see service to others as a core value of their being. It’s just who they are! Bonnie St. John is one of those volunteers. Bonnie arrived on the doorstep of Mills Community Support back in February and has brought much joy to many people. Bonnie is a volunteer driver taking seniors to appointments in her own car. She jumped at the chance to transport seniors to the Music and Memories program at the Mills, using our small van. Driving the Mills’ small van she brings an Almonte General Hospital resident home for regular family visits each week, Bonnie offers admin work support to the Home Support Foot Care Clinic, makes reminder calls for seniors who attend the Mills Fit as a Fiddle exercise class and often fills in as a kitchen and server volunteer at Mills’ dinners and luncheons.
Bonnie is a committee member of both the Augusta Street Park Community Committee and its ‘5 Wednesday in July’ sub-committee.
Submitted by Jeff Mills
Coordinator, Community Development
Mills Community Support
