What was Pitt Meadows like 50 years ago?
What was the importance of community and how did organizations like the church fit in?
This summer, Pitt Meadows United Church launched the PMUC History Project: Stories of Faith and Community, to capture the stories of long-time members of their congregation who have been part of both Pitt Meadows, the community, and the church during the past five decades.
RELATED: Pitt Meadows United Church plans to help young and old with video history project
The church hired a team of four young peopleto make connections between the generations.
During the summer, the team interviewed 30 seniors and recorded their stories of faith, hardship, and community action, among them project leader Fin Leahy.
“I learned that connections within communities such as PMUC were, and continue to be, really important to this generation,” said Leahy, a recent graduate from SFU.
“Groups I had never heard of like CGIT (Canadian Girls in Training) for girls, women’s groups, and men’s groups, played a huge role,” he recalled.
“It was touching to hear them talk with such love and fondness about these groups, and their service within the church and the broader Pitt Meadows community. We even interviewed a former Mayor and an MLA who were members of the congregation. It was really cool to see how church involvement led to community action.”
Interviewer Hudson Campbell noted that he had learned many amazing things about the City of Pitt Meadows, as well as the people living in it.
“Quickly after beginning this interview process, I discovered how special PMUC is,” said Hudson. “The parishioners are a community that genuinely care about one another.”
The project was made possible by grants from the United Church of Canada.
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