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From Community Meals to Treasure Sales, Bradford church volunteer finds time to give back

Look for Connie Taylor, quietly helping out in the background, whenever an extra set of hands is needed
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Connie Taylor, in a rare moment of relaxation, at her mom's home. Miriam King/Bradford Today

Connie Taylor hesitated when she was asked to sit down and talk about her volunteer work in Bradford.

She insisted that she is just a small part of the team at Bradford United Church, where most of her volunteering is done. There are so many others who do more than she does, she said.

There’s Bill Jermyn, and Cheryll Strong, Doug Armstrong, Gwen Green, Evelyn Stong, and choir leader Janet Evans…

But the fact remains that whenever she’s been needed, and whenever she can, Taylor has offered a pair of willing hands.

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Taylor lived in London for nine years, before her family moved to Tottenham. That’s where she grew up, going to Rich Hill United Church, attending Sunday School, and singing in the Children’s Choir.

She was taught from an early age to see past disability, to treat people with respect, and to help whenever and wherever possible. And she was taught to persevere – overcoming challenges to attend hairdressing school in Windsor, where she stayed with an aunt, to earn her certificate.

Since coming to the Bradford area, she has been involved in Bradford United Church – singing in the choir, occasionally as a soloist; teaching Sunday School (“I like hands-on more than pushing a pencil. I love playing with kids on a floor and telling a story,” she said); and helping out with Euchres and the monthly Treasure Sale.

The Treasure Sales are key fundraisers for the church –  giant 'yard sales' selling household items, clothing, toys and tools donated by church members, for cash donations that help to pay the monthly bills.

Taylor has been involved in the set up and take down of the sales, which are held on the fourth Saturday of each month. She also instituted one change that has made the Treasure Sales more profitable.

“What I do is I take all the stuff nobody wants,” she explained – all the items left unsold after several sales - and she delivers those unsold and unwanted items to a variety of other charities.

“I don’t want it to go to the dump,” Taylor said, especially since throwing the stuff out might mean that the church would have to pay disposal fees. 

Instead, Taylor takes still-usable items to the Global Village second hand shop on Bridge St., to Blue Door Shelters or to a women’s shelter, or to Value Village.

In addition to volunteering at Bradford United, she has also been involved in the Bradford Community Meal – working closely with former BWG Community Initiatives president, the late Barb Vaughan, and volunteering as a cook and general helper.

She comes out regulartly to do the dishes and tidy up – always ready to provide an extra set of hands, to make the work go faster. “I’d feel strange if I wasn’t out there doing the dishes,” Taylor said with a laugh, “and I always say the Grace!”

She has volunteered at other church fundraisers, including dinners and concerts at the Bradford Arts Centre, and  has occasionally helped out at the Bradford Helping Hand Food Bank, over the years.

But Taylor can't volunteer as often as she'd like. The problem is that she isn’t always available: a mother of three grown children and a grandmother, she works part-time during the day, and for a while was without a vehicle.

“I was taking buses and doing a lot of walking, or people would drive me,” she said. It meant that, on occasion, she  missed a volunteer shift, something that she has tried hard to avoid. 

Taylor now has her own car, but is living back in the Tottenham area. She also spends time up in Barrie, visiting her mom, and in summer, playing on a local softball team for the handicapped.

But with all of her commitments in Tottenham and Barrie, and all of the calls on her time, Taylor’s heart is still in Bradford, with the Bradford United Church - and she continues to volunteer whenever she can.

“I love doing stuff like that. I love helping out,” she said.

The best part for Connie Taylor? “We’re all volunteers. Everyone works together!”


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Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
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