Love leads to 35 years of service

Major Maureen Ashton says her love of the community and God has seen her commit to the Salvation Army for 35 years.

Monday, January 19 will mark the anniversary for Maureen, who has received a long service award for her commitment to the organisation that she "loves being a part of ".

Maureen was promoted to commanding officer at the Stratford Branch almost nine years ago, "my husband retired a little over 10 years ago but I was asked to stay on".

She adds that is was unusual for the organisation as spouses usually retire together. "I became the first spouse to continue working."

Maureen has worked all over the country but has been in Taranaki for more than 20 years. "I am set to retire in January 2016 but have plans to still work here and there in the wider Taranaki region."

Maureen says there have been many highlights in her time in Stratford. "The fight against synthetic drugs was huge for me, I saw the effects of them on young people and it was great to be able to make a difference and stop the sale of them in our community." Maureen says that spearheading the group, dubbed SCARS (Stratford Citizens Against Retailing of Synthetic Cannabinoids), was a great example of the community working together to support one another.

Another highlight for her was seeing the makeover and expansion of the Salvation Army family store in Stratford. "This is another example of the wonderful support we receive from the local community."

Looking to the future Maureen says that while she only has one year left at the helm she doesn't plan on slowing down. "I will continue to work closely with other groups in the community such as Stratford Lions as well as be a part of community events such as the Anzac commemorations."

Maureen says that her success in the community is the result of "a really great leadership team surrounding me".