Adam Prudhomme
Editor
When Delores Vermilyea isn’t overseeing her family dairy farm in Napanee, she can be found volunteering at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital or the Morningstar Mission.
Not only have those two local charities have benefitted from her countless hours of service, but on March 8 they were each recipients of a $1,000 donation from Corverta Agriscience made in Vermilyea’s name.
The donation was a result of Vermilyea being selected winner of Corteva’s Simply Better, Together contest, which called on nominations of farmers from across Ontario and Quebec who gave back to their community. Winners were selected from a panel of judges based on stories of good deeds included in the nominations.
Sandra O’Neill of Selby’s TCO Agromart nominated Vermilyea, who is a longtime customer of the agricultural feed and supply store.
“Delores Vermilyea is an amazing woman, and this community is so fortunate to have her part of it,” reads O’Neill’s nomination. “She has farmed her whole life and has overseen and worked in their large dairy operation along with her two sons, Blake, and Bob since her husband’s passing in 1995. Since her grandson’s graduation from college, she has taken a step back from managing the calves but still takes care of the bookkeeping and continues to go the barn every morning to walk laps and chat with her sons and grandchildren to stay connected to everything that is important to her. While her husband was sick, she saw great value in the local hospital and decided she would work hard to help maintain a progressive health system in our community. She has continued to volunteer there ever since in the coffee and gift shop where she greets, assists, and serves customers. She wanted to give back to the hospital and ensure that it stays a vital part of the community. All funds raised at the gift shop go directly back to the hospital. Delores has always had a strong faith background and was drawn to volunteering at the Morningstar Relief Mission in Napanee which is an organization that helps meet the needs of vulnerable citizens in the community. These days she helps weekly at the Mission by helping to prepare meals for the Full Plate program, a community food and outreach program. …Delores is a shining example of how being involved in her community simply makes it a better place.”
When she found out she had won, it was only natural she would select LACGH Foundation and the Morningstar Mission as her charities of choice. Fittingly on International Women’s Day-a day to celebrate incredible women-she met with Foundation members Adrienne Harris-Hale and Kelly Schermerhorn as well as Morningstar Mission executive director Kevin Alkenbrack at TCO to formally present the cheque to both organizations.