Photo: Casey Richardson

Member of Parliament Dan Albas pins the King Charles III?s Coronation Medal on Janet Parker, during a presentation with Mayor Julius Bloomfield

A woman known for her generosity, drive and support for a Penticton recovery society was recognized on Tuesday.

Janet Parker was awarded the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal for her work with Discovery House and the community, all of which she did in honour of her late son.

They shared she was chosen for her "exceptional contributions and dedication to fostering community development, enhancing local support networks, demonstrating extraordinary generosity to non-profit organizations, and showcasing her brilliant business acumen."

Elected officials, Penticton mayor and council, along with board members came together for the official ceremony to honour Parker.

The award was formally presented by Member of Parliament Dan Albas and Mayor Julius Bloomfield.

"A lot of families suffer from the loss of those people that are affected by addiction. And different families, they all feel the pain of it, and some members of those families handle it in a different way, and they use it as a trigger to light with passion the work to make sure that others don't suffer the same fate," Bloomfield said to the crowd inside the Winnipeg Street house.

Parker has working with them since her son Colin passed away from an overdose on Oct. 4, 2016, donating tens of thousands of dollars each year to Discovery House.

She began working with the organization in 2017, deciding to turn pain into something positive.

Parker told Castanet it wasn't easy.

"I think about him every day."

But she believed in the work they did, and used her community connections to help them grow.

Her work has helped the society add on more recovery beds, expand their footprint and build independent living homes.

Executive director Blaine Russell said the list is endless in regards to the good work Parker has done.

"I've known her, from being a resident myself to where we are now," he said.

"Janet's generosity, the way she handles herself, her commitment to the countless hours working on our board, helping us with fundraising, just really built that. I don't think this organization, honestly, would be where it is without the great support of Janet Parker. We're so grateful and lucky to have Janet as a part of this organization."

Parker thanked everyone who has helped make Discovery House what it is today and said she was honoured to receive the medal.

She hopes to see more recovery beds added, along with treatment for long term aftercare.

"We always have a waiting list. So that means there's people out there, and that means there's lives we could be saving and making a difference," Parker said.

Discovery House continues to need provincial, federal and citizen support to help it run. For more information, head to their website here.

Photo: Casey Richardson