In 1984, six Meals on Wheels volunteers from Peterborough were awarded the Province of Ontario’s Culture and Citizenship Award for their extraordinary contributions to the welfare of others. Olive Guinand, Joan Kennedy, Mary Harrison, Joy Edwards, Dorothy McKinstry, and Letty Guilders were recognized by the Honourable John Melville Turner, MPP, in a ceremony that celebrated their dedication to community service.
These women were more than volunteers. They were role models of compassion and consistency, quietly offering their time and energy to ensure neighbours in need were cared for. Their recognition helped shine a light on the kind of selfless service that often happens behind the scenes—unseen, but deeply felt.
The Province acknowledged what Peterborough already knew: that volunteers like Olive, Joan, Mary, Joy, Dorothy, and Letty represented the very best of our community.
That moment in 1984—captured in photos of warm handshakes and proud smiles—is part of a much larger tradition. For 60 years, Community Care’s Meals on Wheels program has been powered by people like them: volunteers who deliver more than meals. They offer friendship, stability, and a powerful reminder that no one is alone.
Their example still echoes today, carried forward in every knock on a neighbour’s door. Their service was—and still is—worth celebrating.
