Our Objectives:

• Familiarize community members with our organization (new arrival tour of the centre, quarterly mail-out, base paper, liaison with community groups & organizations)
• Invite community involvement at all levels (Board, staff, volunteer, service user) to foster a genuine sense of ownership and belonging.
  (It is hoped that qualified and committed civilian spouses of military members will always occupy a majority of Board seats to ensure spousal ownership of the MFRC.)
• Reflect changing needs of the community in programming and activities (user evaluation, community input)

Our modest beginnings:

Back in 1985, Colonel P. J. O’Donnell, the 14 Wing Commander at the time approved the establishment of an Emergency Shelter to house military families in need of short term/temporary accommodation (this establishment is now known as Roundel Lodge and to this day is still available through the MFRC).  He then invited a representative group of military spouses to identify quality of life programs and services that they deemed essential to the well-being of their families. This group became the steering committee for a program that would later be spread throughout the Canadian Forces.  He delegated the Base Chief Warrant Officer, Fred Illingworth, to oversee their deliberations and to report the group’s findings to him.

After the steering committee prioritized their list of services and programs, they were then tasked to organize themselves as a Centre and to implement the first program from their list, namely, the Information and Referral program.   On January 26th 1986, the Multi-Service Support Centre opened its doors on Ward Road in Greenwood and it has been serving military families ever since.

In 1992, the steering committee became an official Board of Directors’ comprised of 51% civilian spouses of military members.  That year, the Centre was incorporated provincially and became registered charitable society.

Over the years, the Centre has undergone many changes: expanding, moving, and adding new programs and services to its mandate.  The Centre is now running 5 official “universal” programs:  Information/Referral, Prevention and Intervention, Quality of Life (including Deployment Outreach, Employment Assistance and service to Reservists), Child/Youth Programs and Volunteer Development Program.

In 1998, the Centre found a new home: the AVM Morfee Centre on School Road in Greenwood.

In the fall of 2002, after 16 years as the Executive Director, Fred Illingworth decided it was time to retire.   Shortly after, Catharine Bielak was chosen to replace Fred as the ED in early January 2003.  Due to a posting to Colorado Springs in the Summer of 2005, Catharine resigned as the Executive Director.  She was replaced by Vicki Morrison, who came to us  with over ten years of experience in not-for-profit management while running such organizations as the Evangeline Recreation Society and the Annapolis County Family Resource Centre. In 2008, Vicki was posted to Ottawa with her family and was replaced by Margaret Reid, who was already a staff of the GMFRC for over 13 years as the Coordinator of Deployment Services.

So, now that you know us a little better, we sure hope that you will give us a chance to know you too! Drop in at the center or give us a call, we're looking forward to meeting you and your family.