“A critically important record on an organization in the Fraser Valley that has spanned a half century.”

We do hereby resolve to work for the development of that potential in the spirit of justice, truth and freedom…..

-Constitution of Abbotsford Community Services, 1968

And so it began, fifty years ago in 1968 when a few good men sat down to carve out the future for a community of peoples and organizations. In reviewing the book entitled, It Takes Raindrops to Fill a Lake, it appears to me that the themes of justice, truth and freedom have provided the spine for Walter Paetkau to lay out the book that he has set out to write.

This book provides a critically important record on an organization in the Fraser Valley that has spanned a half century. Written in a reflective mood and style, the historical record of Abbotsford Community Services truly encapsulates the very real successes and challenges experienced by an organization that has grown exponentially in diverse ways and in many directions.No better person perhaps could do better service in capturing the last fifty years in a book that spans such a complex and changing era.

Today staff of 450 cover 90 service units in 25 locations, using the same phone number since 1969. In order for one to understand this complex inclusive organization Walter has taken the laborious work of bringing the past to the present moment and helped make sense of the journey for us readers. The book is replete with stories, testimonials, media reports, nostalgia inducing photos of people and places, thoughtful commentary, wonderful episodes of the human spirit, ephemera and a record of time, ideas and place.

What comes through in the book with such resounding force is the continuous efforts of the organization’s caretakers, the tremendous goodwill shown by all levels of government and funding agencies, the shared spirit of cooperation between staff, volunteers and the Board of Directors, and the commitment of every single service provider for the overall wellness of the community.

Is the book a testimonial to the enduring spirit of excellence in service? Yes it is and I would say it is a wonderful resource for all of us who live in the area and for those who don’t, to learn from a unique journey of such behemoth commitment by a few to serve so many people in need.

The book is easy to read as chapters unfold in familiar prose using gentle persuasion to allow us to believe that in the end it is the human quotient of Abbotsford Community Services that truly matters. The heart and soul of the organization and its people is captured by Walter in this book and I would venture to say that the oasis that is Abbotsford Community Services has certainly filled up with the raindrops of service.

Thank you Walter for your past commitments that spanned four decades, your present contribution by researching and writing this book and for giving us a resource for the future.

–Satwinder Kaur Bains, Director, South Asian Studies Institute, University of the Fraser Valley