Welcome. It’s so nice to meet you. It can be scary moving to a new town, but rest assured you have chosen wisely—your life is going to change for the better.
One of the wonderful aspects of Mississippi Mills—that’s Almonte, Appleton, Blakeney, Clayton, Pakenham and all the rural areas between – is its rich history of volunteerism. Yes, most people here give of themselves: their time, talent and treasure. We volunteer. We share our gifts. We give. It’s who we are. We’ve built a resilient community, over time, through service.
Coming together with our fellow citizens and our neighbours, and by working together, we have made this place very special. There are arts, music, theatre, festivals, lots of sports activities, museums, nature and environmental initiatives; we have service clubs, school councils, women’s institutes, a youth centre, community gardens, even a men’s shed. There are tons of ways for newcomers to engage and contribute.
This past Tuesday evening, citizen volunteers came from across Mississippi Mills to pack the Almonte Civitan Club for the annual volunteer appreciation event sponsored by the Club, Carebridge Community Support and the Municipality of Mississippi Mills. Civitan volunteers served up delicious sweet and savoury treats, neighbours met with neighbours, and like news articles of the past would profess, “A good time was had by all!”
While there, I spoke with volunteers of the Civitan Club who, like other groups in service to the community, are stretched. Some volunteers in key positions are unable to continue in their roles – they could really use some help.
So welcome, settle in, talk to your neighbours. Ask them how they are volunteering and follow their lead. We promise you’ll not only make great connections, super friends, and feel good about helping your new community, you’ll have a warm sense of belonging. You will have arrived. Welcome to Mississippi Mills.
Jeff Mills
