Volunteer Story: Connie & YJ
YJ and Connie miss the laughter and chit-chat time at Frog Hollow’s community kitchen. They are 2 of the many neighbours helping out in our kitchen in the past years.
Preparing snacks and hot lunches for kids at drop-in sessions every week, cooking for holiday and special celebration events, we always have a group of loyal “master chefs” preparing yummy and nutritious food at our community kitchen.
Many are over 50 years old, immigrant grandparents accompanying their grandchildren to participate in our drop-in programs. While the kids were playing, grandparents naturally mingled with our staff, especially Carrie, who is in charge of food preparation in the kitchen. After a few times, they just become good friends.
Connie remembers the exact month and year she immigrated from Hong Kong to Canada, December 1974. Before moving to Canada, Connie works with her family, who runs a furniture business in Hong Kong. After settling in Vancouver, she had done various jobs including working at PNE, canning and sewing. Frog Hollow community kitchen brought so much great memories to Connie, “There were many volunteers in helping out in the kitchen. It was fun hanging out with them weekly.” Due to the pandemic, Connie has not been going out much nor to Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House. She misses the quality time spent with other volunteers and staff members in the kitchen. Connie is now enjoying her retirement life. She still enjoys cooking, especially experimenting with new recipes from YouTube.
YJ immigrated to Canada during the 90s with her husband, 2 sons and 1 daughter. Her hometown in China is the city of Pun Yu. Before moving to Canada, YJ was a farmer. She found a farmwork job in Delta after settling down in Vancouver, where she worked every day from 7 am to 10 pm. JY loves Yum Cha with friends and walking laps in the parks, and is busy taking care of the dog for her son.
“I have 10 volunteer certificates from Frog Hollow” JY is very proud of those certificates given to her by Frog Hollow. Frog Hollow hosts Volunteer Appreciation Dinner every June to recognize the great support volunteers have provided over the years.
As one of the kitchen volunteers, YJ always finds joy in helping out at our programs. “I was going on a month’s vacation back to China one time,” Carrie, Frog Hollow’s Family Programmer recalled, “YJ and Zheng Pak (another kitchen volunteer) covered me and took lead in preparing hot meals for the kids in drop-in sessions.” When asked why not ask other staff to do it, Carrie said, “They are so familiar with what we do with food preparation. I can count on them. So my coworkers can work with more families during the session while they take care of the meal preparation.”
Frog Hollow values all our volunteers we have a designated date to recognize their contribution! We haven’t had the in-person Volunteer Recognition Event in the past two years due to the pandemic. One thing for sure is that when we do, we will see the beautiful and proud smiles on YJ and Connie’s faces! We thank profusely our dedicated volunteers for being part of this vibrant community.
Empowering Social Inclusion Through
Community Engagement
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Volunteer Story: Chio
“I get that warm feeling of being at home when I share smiles, hugs, jokes, ideas and when I’m lucky to help someone in need. My life has evolved in ways I couldn’t have imagined without volunteering at Frog Hollow.“
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“Volunteering helps you gain a sense of community…to give back to the community that has raised you.“
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Kiko's Story
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Barb's Story
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Wing Sun's Story
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Benelda's Story
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