Caring Anglicans

At least two Anglicans are among winners of this year’s Governor-General’s Caring Canadian Award: Doreen Kenmuir of the Diocese of New Westminster and Marion Saunders of the Diocese of Toronto.

Ms. Kenmuir has been a volunteer visitor at her local hospital for 40 years, Topic reports.

She volunteered even during a busy career as an elementary school teacher, principal and education consultant for special needs programs. Ms. Kenmuir developed an interest in mental health issues while teaching and this in turn led to an involvement with the Canadian Mental Health Association, of which she is now past president.

After retiring in 1991, Ms. Kenmuir became more active in her parish, St. Mary the Virgin in Sapperton and began to visit young adults with multiple sclerosis.

In 1994 the three Anglican churches in New Westminster invited Ms. Kenmuir to co-ordinate pastoral care of Anglicans in the two local hospitals.

Mrs. Saunders was appointed chair of the Anglican Church’s Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund committee in 1998.

Her husband, David, served as Anglican chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces for almost 30 years, retiring in 1998 when the couple moved to Newcastle, Ont.

Mrs. Saunders served as national president for six years and past president for two years of the Canadian Forces Protestant Chapel Guild. She represented the CAF on the Vellore-Ludhiana Committee of the Canadian Council of Churches and currently chairs the committee. The committee supports Christian medical centres and hospitals in India.

Mrs. Saunders has most recently worked in volunteer management, which she now teaches at George Brown College. She has also served on the board of the provincial volunteer administrators’ association as chair of the standards of practice/ethics committee.

She has been involved in numerous other volunteer activities, including as choir director with the Newcastle congregation, co-ordinator for canvassers for the Kidney Foundation, as a Brownie and Girl Guide leader and a teacher’s assistant.