Gina Jones-Wilson has been volunteering in her community of Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S. for more than 35 years.
“She’s our community activist,” says Rev. Lennett Anderson, minister at the Emmanuel Baptist Church. “She’s a community organizer, planner, social justice, a mentor to our youth.”
Gina has spent countless hours making sure the community has exactly what it needs.
“I started out volun-tolding, as we called it,” says Gina. “My mom used to volunteer a lot and she used to take us along, so it just came natural.”
Gina has helped to expand the community centre, building both baseball diamonds and basketball courts, as well as mentoring, and working on countless other projects.
“As a marginalized community, there’s not many resources,” says Anderson. “She is a key partner. She partners with the MLA, the county councillor, she wants everyone at the table.”
Gina was also the first female African-Nova Scotian firefighter.
“It’s just amazing they have someone like that and I just hope and pray, in years to come, others will follow in her footsteps,” says Valmah Anderson of the seniors’ community centre.
“She affirms the youth of this community, she believes in their potential, she speaks life into them,” says Rev. Lennett Anderson.
Gina says all the volunteer work she has put in over the years is well worth the effort.
“The reward is seeing the kids go from our tutoring program into university, graduating university, getting good jobs, that’s my reward.”
Congratulations to Gina Jones-Wilson, our Maritimer of the Week!
If you know someone deserving of our Maritimer of the Week award, we want to hear about it.
It doesn’t matter how old they are, the nature of the good deed they’ve done, or what part of the region they live in – we want your ideas!
Please send your nomination to:
or
Maritimer of the Week
P.O. Box 1653
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 2Z4
