Family Spirit Fueled Tracy’s Service

When Tracy Smale was named an Honorary Life Member of Caledon Community Services (CCS) in 2024, her first reaction was surprise. “I felt humbled, honoured and a bit of imposter syndrome,” she said. “After all, I’m just doing little events.” Her quiet humility is exactly what makes her story so powerful, because for Tracy, giving back isn’t about recognition. It’s always just been something you do.

With deep roots in Caledon’s farming community, Tracy’s upbringing reflects the region’s original pioneering tradition of ‘people helping people’ – the same spirit that guides CCS today.

As a child Tracy watched her father quietly model community service. “It was never a conversation. It was just something we saw,” she explains. He was part of the Lions Club, regularly donated to causes, and was always available to help someone in need. “Today I see that he was teaching us through actions, rather than words.”

That deep-rooted sense of responsibility stayed with Tracy, “That community duty isn’t something you brag about. You just do the right thing, and hope others will follow your lead.”

Tracy’s path back to community service in Caledon began after the birth of her first child, when she and her husband returned to Mayfield United Church, the church she’d grown up in. She heard a guest speaker talk about finding purpose through volunteering and ultimately building a career at CCS and it sparked something in her. “I realized I could make an impact not only in my church, but in the broader community too – and that I could involve my family as well.”

Soon she was bringing her young children to CCS food drives and events – making volunteering a regular part of their family rhythm. “I want my kids to be aware of how fortunate we are,” she explained. “Sometimes you need to see the shelves at the Exchange sitting empty to understand.”

Tracy’s work as Supervisor of Service Caledon for the Town of Caledon intersects with her passion for community building. Over the years, she’s spearheaded a staff-led “Impact Committee,” that organized everything from bake sales to chili cook-offs, with funds directed to CCS, Caledon Meals on Wheels and other local causes. “It’s not town funds – it’s just staff getting together to give back.”

With CCS, Tracy helped to grow the re-envisioned annual Home for the Holidays Gala into a signature fundraising event that has become the highlight of the Caledon holiday season. It was while serving on the planning committee that she also pulled her brother Stephen into the fold. “I asked him to help me reach out to local businesses for donations – something I wasn’t very comfortable doing myself.” His talent for fundraising quickly became clear, and after several years of volunteering together, he eventually became Gala Co-Chair.

Although Tracy has since refocused on more grassroots volunteering, her impact at CCS has never slowed. Whether organizing a Coldest Night of the Year team, participating in Velocity or helping stock shelves at the Exchange with her kids, she’s never lost sight of why giving back matters. “There’s a satisfaction in volunteering that you don’t find anywhere else,” she says. “You may never see the person you’re helping, but you know you made a difference.”

For families who are new to Caledon or to volunteering, her advice is simple: “Just try something together. Start small – a food drive, an hour of sorting donations. You’ll be amazed by the bond it creates and the impact you can have.”

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