Longtime resident Kristine Carbis is being recognized for her activism and work in the community as an anti-poverty advocate.
Newmarket-Aurora MP Tony Van Bynen visited Carbis at her home in the Bayfield Manor neighbourhood to present her with a certificate in honour of her contributions.
“I wanted to say thank you very much, Kristine, for what you’ve done, your community service, your volunteering. It’s people like you that are the heart of your community organization,” Van Bynen said.
Carbis was happy to meet with the MP to receive the certificate but said she hates recognition and being in the spotlight.
“It’s nice to have the acknowledgement of what I do. I do it to make the change though, not for recognition,” she said.
Carbis’s resume of volunteer work is long. She has done a lot of event planning within her neighbourhood, is an anti-poverty advocate in the community and school boards, took part in a social audit of York Region 10 years ago, has been involved in the food bank, served on social planning and equity/inclusivity committees, and more.
She said a lot of her involvement has been about “just raising awareness of what it’s like to live in poverty and that anybody could be there.”
Carbis said she was inspired by her own life experiences, as well as a desire to create change.
“I want to be able to make a change,” she said. “I used to live it and I know that change needs to be and it can be made.”
Carbis has lived in Newmarket for 26 years but next weekend she will be making a big move up to Thunder Bay, which is where she grew up. She said she plans to keep up the activism and get involved in whatever is going on there.
“It’s who I am, I have to do that,” she said about giving back.
Van Bynen said the move is Newmarket’s loss but Thunder Bay’s gain.
