Lynnette Cobb was presented the Women with Heart award from the Women’s Contact Society at a luncheon on Sunday at the Seniors’ Activity Centre.
Co-workers talked about her humour, her compassion, her empathy and her humble heart.
She is the sixth Williams Lake woman to be presented with the society’s Women with Heart award.
“These women all brought something unique and valuable to our community; the intention of the award is to recognize successful, strong women and to celebrate the positive impact and contributions they’ve made to Williams Lake and area,” said Women’s Contact Society executive director Irene Willsie.
Willsie said criteria for winning the award is based on things such as the passion they brought to their career or volunteerism, positive impact on the community, generosity of spirit, success, leadership and advocacy on behalf of those less fortunate.
Janice Breck from Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Cariboo Chilcotin branch nominated Cobb for the award.
At the luncheon she talked about how much Lynnette has contributed to the community, volunteering more than 48,000 hours to CMHA in 21 years.
“She has also given more than 3,000 hours volunteering for the RCMP Victim Services program,” Breck explained.
Lynnette was instrumental in establishing the Baker Manor, an apartment complex for people with disabilities, and always shows a positive attitude in spite of physical challenges she faces living with Multiple Sclerosis since 1982, Breck said.
“Lynnette has been a successful business owner, a politician’s wife, mother and grandmother and a prolific volunteer in the community for people in crisis,” Breck said.
Dave Dickson from Community Policing sent a letter of gratitude and congratulations to Lynnette for her work with Victim Services.
“This was very special to me today,” Lynnette said.
“I got more out of my volunteering than I ever gave: people that trust you with things that hurt way down.”
Lynnette took the opportunity to thank her clients, friends, family and husband Mayor Walt Cobb for their support over the years.
“Walt was my rock and he still is,” Lynnette said.
She said she lost her dad the same year she started volunteering.
“I needed to fill that void and it just felt right. I’m a heart person inside,” Lynnette continued.
Lynnette said that recently she was in the courthouse related to an animal cruelty case.
“The conservation officer said, ‘I don’t know how you can do this,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know how you do what you do, either.’”
“The satisfaction I got out of this was huge,” Lynnette said.
“To know that people were going to be okay, going to get out of that dark place and start to see bright spaces,” Lynnette said. “When they turn a corner it’s just wonderful.”