Character Abbotsford Society honoured three citizens with its Character in Action Awards on Thursday at its Character Council meeting.
The inaugural recipients of the awards were Nerlap Sidhu, Anshdeep Sharda and Kiah Ashley. They were each presented with a limited-edition “character challenge coin” and a $500 gift card.
Sidhu was recognized for the work she has done with the Character Abbotsford Youth Forum, while Sharda was honoured for his work with the Abbotsford Youth Commission.
Ashley was recognized for her work with Project Angel, which helps those with drug addictions.
Rhonda Pauls, vice-chair of the Abbotsford board of education and Character Council member, opened the awards ceremony with a review of the organization’s purpose and history.
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“We often talk about values such as respect and integrity and how they have the power to influence. These individuals have given life to these words by showing us what the values look like in action,” she said.
Abbotsford Police Chief Mike Serr is also a member of the Character Council.
“Abbotsford is filled with people making a positive difference, and I truly believe that we are stronger when we work together,” he said.
Vijay Manuel, head of MEI Schools and chair of the Character Council, said the intention for the Character in Action Awards is to tell some of the stories of the many people making a difference in Abbotsford as a source of inspiration.
“You have inspired us all to be more intentional in how we live out the values that matter most to us on a daily basis,” he said, in closing the ceremony.
“Character isn’t a program or event that we do, but rather is reflected in the way in which we do everything.”
Visit CharacterAbbotsford.com or follow on instagram and twitter –@characterabby – for more information.
