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Orillia volunteer recognized for 'meaningful' work at Legion

'If you are in a position to be able to offer time to others, then volunteering is an opportunity for you to share your gifts, whatever they might be,' says Angela Paylor
angela paylor helper
Angela Payor cradles the Legion's President's Award she recently won for her service to the Orillia Legion. The photo she holds is of her grandparents, Millicent and Chris Paylor, who inspired her to live a life of service.

Some people in the world inspire others by who they are: givers, helpers, people who go out of their way to make the world a better place for others. Orillia’s Angela Paylor is one of those people.

Recently, Paylor received the Royal Canadian Legion’s President’s Award for her many years of service to the annual Poppy Campaign, the Legion Crest Complex and the Orillia Scottish Festival.

“It was a complete surprise,” Paylor said of the award.

A third-generation member of the local Legion, Paylor and her family have a long history of service to veterans and their families in the area.

“I’ve held a position with the Legion Crest Complex for a while. However, in the last four years, I’ve been the chairperson,” she said.

“When I was young, my grandfather (Chris Paylor) was part of the committee that helped with the construction (of the Legion Crest Complex) and also sat on the board of directors.”

Shortly after Paylor’s grandfather passed away, a Legion member reached out to her and asked if she would consider joining the board.

“It just meant a lot to me,” she said.

Since she was a teenager, Paylor has been involved with the Legion’s Poppy Campaign. “My grandparents invited us to help out ... and essentially, I have returned almost every year since.”

The importance of living a life of service is so ingrained in Paylor that she had to reflect for a while on why she does it.

“To me, it’s about engaging in meaningful work,” she said.

“When I think about my involvement with the Legion Crest Complex, I recall (as a child) my grandfather showing me pictures of the building and telling me they were going to prioritize housing for veterans and veterans’ widows, spouses and children.

“I could see that energy and I could see that belief in what he was doing and what they were all creating. I think that instilled this piece in me around doing meaningful work and believing in what you’re doing,” Paylor said.

“(Also), it gives me such a sense of connection to my family, in terms of the past and the present. (My dad and my grandparents) really wanted this place for veterans and families of veterans where they felt welcomed, supported and appreciated.”

Housing for veterans is a cause with special meaning to Paylor because so many people in her family, past and present, have served their countries.

“My great grandparents, my grandparents and my partner’s dad, his uncles, cousins, they have served their country. I feel very connected to them by being a volunteer for the Legion. Especially the Poppy Campaign, because the funds go directly toward veterans and their families.”

Paylor feels the gifts given and the gifts received by doing volunteer work go much deeper than the surface reasons you usually hear about.

“If you are in a position to be able to offer time to others, then volunteering is an opportunity for you to share your gifts, whatever they might be. It helps you better understand yourself, how to work with others and it challenges your perspectives," she explained.

“Through your gifts and your giving of time you have a chance to touch the lives of others for the better.  And if the organization you volunteer with has meaning and value to you, then you are also walking beside the people, past and present, helping to carry the torch that others lit before you," she added.

While meaningful work obviously matters immensely to Paylor, she points out volunteering is also about finding community.

“It’s not only finding meaning in what I do but also the people I do it with. We come from this common mindset or vision of a goal of what we’re trying to do together as a group of volunteers," she told OrilliaMatters.

Paylor recently stepped down as the chair of the Legion Crest Complex to give new blood a chance to breathe new ideas into the work. Because of the nature of who she is, though, she was already involved in the Scottish Festival, also affiliated with the Legion.

“When I think about the Scottish Festival, and my involvement there, I was attending the Scottish Festival as a young kid. I used to perform as a Highland Dancer there. It was such a lovely family event," she recalled.

"I remember us getting together with my grandparents outside in the park on a sunny day, listening to the pipes and the drums, which I love, and we’d have our tradition of having our meat pies together," she explained.

“When I was older and I was able to get to the beer tent, we would go in there for a drink. At times when my sister wasn’t able to join us, we would call her and leave her a message. It just became this kind of tradition.”

When Paylor and her co-chair, Carrie Dunn, heard there was a possibility the festival would no longer have a chair, they decided to do something about it.

“We looked at each other and thought, we want to create this same sense of family and opportunity for enjoyment. What we love about the festival, we want other people to love about the festival.”


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