FALL RIVER: Three community-oriented women in Fall River continue to be passionate about ensuring those in need have the help they require—even after 15 years of the Lions Christmas Express.
The trios dedication through the food drive held every November and serving almost 110 families, and their initiative to help those in need for three months with Christmas This Spring serving 35 families, left an impression on the community. The Lions Xmas Express has been operating for 15 years.
Paula Beck-MacKenzie; Stephanie Dube; and Jen Reed were all nominated in Week 2 of the #WeMakeHappy campaign, a partnership between the Fall River Dairy Queen and The Laker News recognizing those in the Fall River and area communities that makes happy.
Picking up the three “happy” cakes from Peggy Rust, manager/franchisee of the Fall River DQ, and Pat Healey, part-owner/ad sales/reporter with The Laker News, on Aug. 19 Beck-MacKenzie took some time to explain why the three decided to step up to do a food drive during COVID19.
“We realized in the country that people were losing their jobs, but we didn’t know exactly what was happening in our area but quickly learned families were being hit hard here so we quickly organized this,” she said.
Beck-MacKenzie spoke about how the three started.
“I think we just wanted to get involved in the community,” she said. “Our kids were young; it was a great way to meet people at first and then we realized that there was such a great need.
“We didn’t know there was such a need for help at Christmas time, so we brought the knowledge of what we knew, opened up the food drive to the schools and it grew and grew.”
She said the three are humbled to have been nominated and then chosen as the winner for week 2 in the campaign.
“You see all the people in our communities who are working hard to make it the best it can be, taking their time to volunteer in our community and that the three of us were recognized warms the heart,” said Beck-MacKenzie.
Do you know someone that makes happy in our community of Fall River and Area (Lakeview, Waverley, Windsor Junction, Fall River, Fletchers Lake, Wellington, Grand Lake, Oakfield, and Enfield HRM) then please submit their name with a short explanation of why you’re nominating them/why they make happy in the community.
Send your submissions for the final Week to The Laker News on FB Inbox or to Pat Healey by email at: reporter.PatHealey@gmail.com by SUNDAY AUG. 30 at noon, then watch for the draw at or shortly after 4 p.m. on the Laker News FB page.
