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Dear editor,

For the past few years, I have been very much involved in community work. I had the pleasure of working alongside people who are extremely passionate about their work. These people are willing to give their time, have a great sense of community, and demand nothing in return.

We are not paid to do community work but this fact doesn't prevent many of us from working a few hours every week to ensure that our projects are a success.

Unfortunately, many people don't appreciate the amount of work that our volunteers do. They come to us with a list of complaints. Never have I received a note of thanks for my work. In addition, the people who complain are never willing to help.

This is one of the reasons why I decided to take a breather from volunteering this year. Simply said, it is too discouraging to be constantly criticized when you're doing your very best.

I invite you to reflect upon what we have thanks to our volunteers: the farmer's market, the food bank, the Red Cross, the Kahoutec ski trails, sports teams for young people, scouts, plays, musical shows, festivals, Société culturelle régionale des Chutes, maintenance of the bike trail, the Falls and Gorge Commission, choirs, the museum, service clubs such as the Rotary, Richelieu, UCT, to name a few.

Do you enjoy some of these services? So, why not take the time to thank and encourage our volunteers if you want to continue to enjoy them. We certainly should not discourage them from doing their work! If you're not volunteering, it's time to start! Involve your children - it can be family time. If you involve your kids in volunteering at a young age, they will become citizens concerned with the community.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all volunteers for their wonderful work. Thanks to you, we all enjoy a wonderful quality of life.

Nicole McLaughlin,

Grand Falls