By Kevin Woodhouse
www.thesuburban.com
Having credited her childhood library in Roxboro as the start of her career as a lawyer and mediator, Estelle Savoie-Dufresne chose to give back to her hometown by donating $1,000 for the purchase of new books for the library’s French youth section.
Accompanied by Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Dimitros Jim Beis last Thursday, Savoie-Dufresne said “this was always a special place for me and now that I have the means, I wanted to give back.”
Her decision to buy 37 new books for the library was “my way of helping others because leaving the library with books always brought me comfort and joy.”
Savoie-Dufresne made the decision to donate now because “in life, we are always busy and we always think we will do something later but sometimes later never comes.”
Beis was touched by the generous donation noting “that this doesn’t happen that often but we are very appreciative. This is a perfect example of a citizen reflecting on how will you leave your mark in a positive way.”
The mayor told Savoie-Dufresne that “we recognize what you are doing as this is the first donation of its kind and we encourage others to help out their communities any way they can.”
“It is thanks to this library that I developed a taste for reading, a prerequisite for my career as a lawyer,” said Savoie-Dufresne.
Savoie-Dufresne moved away from the city to pursue her education but her family have been very involved throughout the years. Her grandmother was an original founder of the Roxboro Assistance Fund and her father served as a councillor from 2001 to 2003.
“Initiating our children to the pleasure of reading is important for our youth to succeed in school,” stated Beis. “Reading is a significant investment for the development of our children. It allows them to forge their dreams, their ambitions and their future.”
Savoie-Dufresne’s advice for others thinking of giving back to their neighbourhood is “to find your passion and try to act upon them, encouraging others to do the same for their community.”