Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
ST.AMANT VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION AWARDS CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
Government House
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
(please check against delivery)
Volunteers, builders and staff members of a great, caring organization, welcome to Government House.
As Lieutenant Governor, I am pleased to acknowledge that we are gathered in the heart of Treaty One land and the heartland of the Red River Metis and in the capital of a province that is the ancestral and present-day home of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Dakota, Dene, Inuit and Metis peoples.
Here in Manitoba, we are committed to understanding, learning from the past, advancing healing and reconciliation and building a healthier community where all can take part and belong.
For 65 years, St. Amant has been working to provide a sense of belonging and an environment of caring for Manitobans with autism, developmental disabilities and brain injuries.
And throughout that time, volunteers have helped to make that possible, whether by offering a friendly face in one-on-one visits, by assisting in educational and recreational programs, or by supporting St. Amant’s operations and administration.
An organization that provides the level of support that St. Amant does to more than 2,000 Manitobans would not be able to function without a large and dedicated force of volunteers.
But it’s not just that volunteers do a lot of work.
What makes your contribution special is that it is imbued with St. Amant’s values.
In your work with St. Amant’s clients and family members, you fulfill the organization’s mission of freeing the spirit and fulfilling potential – together.
St. Amant has changed a great deal since 1959, when it grew out of the Grey Nuns tuberculosis sanatorium. Today, a wide range of supports are available through St. Amant in residential settings throughout Manitoba communities.
What has remained constant throughout is the commitment to the individual worth of each human being and to the importance of holistic care for the mind, body and spirit.
Together with the staff and leadership of St. Amant, volunteers are making Manitoba a better and more caring place. You are fostering acceptance, understanding and compassion throughout our community.
As Lieutenant Governor, I thank you for your service and for helping to free the spirit and fulfill the potential of the province we all call home.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom.
