Eileen Bragg has been awarded Emo Senior Citizen of the Year for her active volunteer work in the community.
In her 81 years, Bragg has been an active member in the community, working as a minister and volunteering at the church when she could no longer do the service and volunteering at the Emo food bank and thrift shop.
Bragg said when she first heard the news that she was going to be given the award she was shocked.
“It was an honour,” Bragg said. “I’m just not used to stuff like that, I don’t expect a thing for what I do, I just do it.”
Along with volunteering, Bragg has also worked part time at camps, clothing stores, church and she has always looked to help her community in any way she can.
“Anything around the community if I could, I did it but it’s just not something I think of as volunteering, it’s just something I do.”
Bragg said growing up on a farm taught her how to work. She said that she never thought of volunteering as a chore but rather something that she wanted to do and because of that, it was easy to dedicate some of her time to it.
The initial shock and slight embarrassment Bragg said, wore off and she felt grateful to be recognized among the many volunteers that do great work in the community.
Bragg said that talking about herself does not come natural to her but listening does. As someone who likes to give more than receive, Bragg said she is happy to take the backseat most of the time.
Emo Mayor Harold McQuaker presented Bragg with the award in December and praised Bragg’s outgoing nature and willingness to always help her community.
“She’s always been a community minded person and a great help,” McQuaker said.
Bragg said she received a certificate and a beautiful poinsettia which she put in the common room of the Golden Age Manor where she lives, so that everyone could enjoy it.
Between raising seven children with her late husband and her community work, Bragg has lead a busy life and she said it has been hard to slow down but with the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no choice but to.
Despite the setback, Bragg has found ways to help around the Manor, and when COVID has loosened its grips on the world, Bragg said she will probably go back to volunteering half days at the thrift shop which she said is long enough for her to stand on her feet.
