Archway Community Builders Awards to Stream Live on October 28th
Michael Adkins, Betty Johnson, Kevin Murray and the Abbotsford Division of Family Practice are being honoured for their contributions to the community at the annual Archway Community Builders Awards.
A small in-person event following health guidelines will be held on October 28th at Archway Community Services and the event will be streamed live for anyone interested in viewing.
“We invite the community to join us online to celebrate these local community builders,” said Pamela Chatry, an Archway board member and committee chair. “Their contributions have had a lasting impact and helped create a safer, more inclusive, and overall better community for all of us.”
Those interested in attending virtually can RSVP at Archway.ca/CBA. Community members are encouraged to leave notes of congratulations before or during the event.
Their contributions have had a lasting impact and helped create a safer, more inclusive, and overall better community for all of us.”
2021 Community Builders Award Recipients
Michael Adkins’ decades of volunteer work supports newcomers, youth, healthcare, literacy and more. He volunteers with Archway’s Employment Mentors program, sits on several boards and has won multiple awards including the 2018 Champion of Diversity Award. He was a driving force behind the Little Free Libraries which – since launching in 2014 – has expanded to 15 locations throughout Abbotsford. Adkins has personally stocked over 100,000 children’s books at the Mill Lake location.
“I believe everyone should try to be that pebble that lands in calm waters and the effect it makes by the ripples, reaching out to touch others and the opportunity it creates for positive, impactful change,” shared Michael.
Betty Johnston is a long-time board member of SARA for Women and helped champion the Christine Lamb residence which opened in 2012. She was a key organizer and participant in Abbotsford’s slo-pitch and curling communities. She used her sports experience at elite levels to help develop the teams and supported large sporting tournaments in Abbotsford. She is also a photographer who lends her talents to various organizations including Archway programs and the annual Archway charity golf tournament.
Betty believes that an important part of living within a community is being involved in and supportive of that community. “Organizations such as Archway make our community a great place to live for so many people and I’m happy to be able to support that work,” said Betty.
Sergeant Kevin Murray is a police officer and community advocate who helps increase access to justice for vulnerable community members. He has created impactful, long-lasting, and sustainable systemic change by leading the Abbotsford Police to be the first police agency to offer opioid agonist treatment services to people in cells. He provided leadership on such issues as harm reduction and Overdose Prevention Sites and developing the CEDAR Outreach Society.
He helped advise residents of the Hearthstone Place, a supportive housing project at Archway, on their legal rights and how to protect themselves from victimization. Kevin was also a detective in the Domestic Violence Unit, a collaborative partnership with Archway’s Specialized Victim Assistant Program where he assisted victims of high-risk intimate partner violence. In this role and his role as the liaison to the Archway Stop Exploiting Youth program, his practical and empathetic approach set the high standards of keeping victims safe and perpetrators accountable.
“I am so thankful for all the wonderful community partnerships. Without these trusting relationships, none of these initiatives would have been possible. Abbotsford is blessed with some fabulous people!” said Kevin.
The Abbotsford Division of Family Practice (ADOFP) is a non-profit healthcare society, funded via a joint partnership between the BC Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC, that supports family physicians and works to enhance patient care through innovative, culturally sensitive and community-minded methods. The Division’s vision is that all the people of Abbotsford have access to optimal health care, through leadership of primary care specialists who are committed to the wellness of our community.
When COVID began, the Division quickly set up a COVID Assessment and Response unit. The Division ran information campaigns about vaccines and other COVID safety measures in local media. To ensure accessibility, South Asian physicians helped create COVID articles and videos in Punjabi. The Division began the Patient Advisory Council with diverse volunteers to gain patients’ perspectives on the future of healthcare in Abbotsford.
The Division has partnered with Archway on the Abbotsford Youth Health Centre, establishing Foundry Abbotsford as well as helping promote the Social Prescribing program to their physicians and local seniors.
“The Abbotsford Division is extremely proud of our physician members. Their passion for the community was and continues to be evidenced in every action they take to keep our community safe and informed throughout the pandemic,” said Monica Mamut, the Executive Director of the ADOFP.
About the Archway Community Builders Awards
The Community Builders’ Awards were established in 2006 by the Archway Board of Directors to honour and acknowledge individuals and has since grown to recognize organizations. The 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID restrictions.
In 2019, Harold Janzen, Pieter and Fran Vanderpol, Vancity Credit Union and the Abbotsford News were recognized for their contributions to Archway and the larger community. Notable past recipients include Dr. Andy Sidhu, Home Depot, Dr. Elizabeth Watts and the late Dave Holmberg.
2019 Community Builders Awards