Catching Teri Ormberg for a quick interview when she isn’t busy helping out somewhere is not an easy task.
Ormberg is one of those volunteers who is much more concerned about getting on with the task at hand rather than chatting about it.
The Rimbey volunteer who tied with Eric Hornsey for the lifetime achievement award sponsored the Rimbey Co-op said she is most happy and grateful to receive the award.
“The other nominees were well deserving and I am honoured I was selected along with Eric,” she said.
Ormberg grew up west of Bluffton and has lived for 49 years with her husband Murray on farm four miles east of town. The couple raised two boys, Lars and Andrew in Rimbey.
As a busy wife and mother and employee of Rimbey Hospital, Ormberg said she helped out mainly with activities her boys were involved in such as 4-H and Scouts.
However, when she retired 11 years ago, she had more time to volunteer and before long she found herself helping out a number of organizations.
She continued to give of her time to the 4-H organization and over the years she has been a leader, key leader and assistant leader.
“It’s an excellent program, a great rural program that needs to keep going.”
She also volunteers for the Beatty House and one may find her busy shoveling the walks or helping with other outside activities or simply in attendance at their monthly meetings. She noted the Beatty House has great historical value for the town.
“It’s a beautiful building,” she said.
Ormberg is a member of the Wooddale Ladies Club, sits on the Women’s Conference Committee, The Rimbey & District Oldtimers Committee and helps out with FCSS. She also occasionally volunteers at the hospital, helping with kindergarten tours or with seniors taking the handi van. She also keeps track of newspaper articles dealing with health care for the hospital.
The rewards of volunteering are as varied as the organizations she helps out with, Ormberg says.
“You always see the benefits and you don’t have to belong to an organization to volunteer.”
The spirit of community and helping out is alive and well in Rimbey and hasn’t really changed in the almost 50 years she has lived here, Ormberg noted.
“We are all getting older and volunteering is more for seniors, but I think the younger people will come around eventually. Now they are busy raising kids and working.”