Vol 'n' tell

As promised, part five of the Richmond Social Media Directory starts at the end of the alphabet, giving organizations in the "T-U-V-W" range a chance to shine, or, at the very least, get some exposure for their social media channels. The best part of starting at opposite ends of the alphabet and ending in the middle, though, is that we get to make an obscure reference. (We love those!) In this case, we can now say that the Richmond Social Media Directory reminds us of Marina Abramovic and Ulay on the Great Wall of China. 

Asking for money, even if it's for a good cause, is hard. It can be intimidating, it can be awkward, and, if your ask falls on deaf ears, it can be crushing. That being said, when your fundraising efforts are successful, you'll feel like you just scored the winning-goal in game seven of the Stanley Cup. In triple overtime. In other words, securing a donation or sponsorship of any kind feels pretty good. Karen Sandhu found that out firsthand thanks to her experience in our Youth Now program, through which she served as a board member with Richmond Family Place. 

Through this program, I learned what the term leadership actually means. Leadership is a quality that individuals build. It incorporates skills such as listening, decision making, communicating, team building, and more. It is not about being the "boss" or being that individual with the "original" ideas. Instead, individuals with this quality work together on projects with common goals for the betterment of their communities. I learned more about the roles of boards and how not-for-profit organizations function. Boards are in place to review and implement things such as financial statements, strategic plans, and policies. Essentially, boards ensure that not-for-profit organizations are sustainable.

As part of her role as a Richmond Family Place board member, Karen Sandhu (second from right) was asked to approach potential sponsors for the organization's golf tournament. One of the companies she contacted not only made a donation, but has since partnered with Richmond Family Place on a new project.

I learned a lot through the various aspects of this program, from the content presented in the workshops to actually being involved in committees, which reported back to the Board. I observed, asked questions, and learned from many of my fellow board members. I learned to not be afraid to ask for what you want. For example, as a member of the golf committee, I was unsure of how to approach people to sponsor our tournament. After speaking with some of my committee members, I went after a few places I had connections to. After a few months, I was able to get a contribution from a company for our tournament. I was super excited because all my work paid off in the end. Furthermore, through my connection, I was able to bring together my organization and this company, who are now working on another project together. It just goes to show that even though it is scary being one of the youngest people on the Board, other board members have as much to gain from you as you do from them.

I truly enjoyed this experience!

Thank you, [Youth Now Program Coordinator] Jocelyn, for creating a program that helps connect youth to the community.

Part of being a leader - a big part, we'd argue - is being self-aware. It's important to know your strengths and weaknesses, the areas in which you excel and those in which you sometimes falter. It's also important to recognize your blind spots - issues to which you've paid so little attention that you're completely unaware of how they affect the world around you. Eliana Chia is a great leader for a number of reasons, chief among them: she recognized one of her blind spots - the obstacles faced by people with disabilities - and, through the Youth Now program, challenged herself to see things in a new light.  

When I began Volunteer Richmond’s Youth Now program last September, I had virtually no experience working with people with disabilities. I am privileged to be an able-bodied individual and throughout my life, I had shamefully little interaction with disability issues. The concept of accessibility swam in the back of my mind, but I had a weak grasp of what it might mean in a concrete way.

That is why when I was placed as a youth board member at the Richmond Centre for Disability (RCD), I was excited to finally be engaged with a community that I felt I could learn a great deal from. At my first board meeting, I had no idea what to expect, and I half imagined a room full of stern, intimidating people in business attire, as that is what mainstream media told me board meetings looked like. Instead, I found a room full of a few of the most grounded, down-to-earth, dedicated, and passionate people I have ever encountered in a non-profit organization. I have to admit, I was completely struck by the style of leadership at the RCD, which I have since desired to emulate. I found leaders who were easily approachable, very humble, and who were carefully attentive to the concerns expressed by younger and less-experienced members of the organization.

As a board member with the Richmond Centre for Disability, Eliana Chia (centre) has gained a deeper understanding of the daily challenges faced by people living with disabilities, and has become a passionate advocate for accessibility and equality.

I strongly believe that these leadership characteristics are the most crucial to possess in the consideration that our contemporary society is interwoven with power dynamics, which often become oppressive. Every day, people are marginalized due to their race, gender identity, socioeconomic class, ability, and many other factors where an identifiable group is perceived as inferior. I have continually struggled with the question of how to resist these power structures, which at times feel overwhelming, and one solution is to pay attention to small, daily details. A part of that is how you treat others in minute interactions when you are in a privileged position, and this can be seen in how much time you take to have a conversation, when you decide to answer e-mails, and the amount of work you put into doing favours for your employees.

In the field of disabilities, I have found that these small details become critical in the way our environment is built. Minor design adjustments such as curb cuts, textile surfaces, brightly painted edges, wider sidewalks, and audio signals become much more significant for the safe navigation for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, many of these small details can become overlooked in a society where able-bodied people are dominant and aesthetics can overrule accessibility. After learning about the importance of detail, I am trying to change my perspective as I find my way around my community. Suddenly, I notice accessibility barriers that I have never considered before, such as construction fences blocking off pathways, puddles forming from the rain, the absence of yellow edges on sidewalks, and poor acoustics in classrooms. My former complete ignorance of these important factors shows how blinding privilege can be. At the end of this program, I would say that the most important thing I have taken away is greater awareness of how power has shaped my environment and the details that need to be recognized in order to move towards equality.

You know what the best feeling in the world is? When one of your volunteers - one who's already doing a ton for your organization - asks if there's any other way he can contribute. That's what happened with Ray Wang, author of our Non-Profit Video Picks blog series. He was writing a post a month, but felt he could do more. He'd done a great job curating videos, so we thought he could do the same for articles, particularly articles related to volunteerism. We asked him to find and share three a month, he said okay, and just like that, a new blog series was born: the Wide World of Volunteerism. Welcome to entry number one.  

Have Your Say: How Do We Pick a High-Impact Place to Volunteer?

In this short article, three experts, each of whom has been involved with non-profit organizations for decades, suggest ways volunteers can select a non-profit group or social cause that we want to work with and is suitable for us. The experts provide thoughtful ideas for us to assess the goals we wish to achieve through volunteering, as well as encourage us to evaluate our own skill sets and determine if there is a right role in the organization we want to join. Additionally, as Paula Speevak Sladowski of Volunteer Canada mentions in the article, there is an array of ways for people to get involved such as managing social media or assuming a leadership role on a board of directors. All and all, this article is perfect for high school or university students that are planning to volunteer for the first time and would like to receive some tips on how to find a suitable organization and role for them. Moreover, for those who are interested in volunteering, please visit GetInvolved.ca and Volunteer Richmond’s Volunteer Opportunities Database for volunteer positions!

Full-Time Workers with Flexible Hours More Likely to Volunteer

Unsurprisingly, work flexibility and the length of time we spend commuting affect our involvement with non-profit organizations, as work and travel can consume a majority of our week’s hours, not to mention the amount of time we spend on other activities, such as running errands and taking care of children. However, what I find fascinating is that a vast number of Canadians are still finding time to give back to their communities: in 2010 alone, we collectively contributed 2.1 billion volunteer hours. Well done, Canadians!

With every second we volunteered at the Food Bank, we could feel our cholesterol profiles improving!

Volunteer Your Way to Better Health

This article, citing a study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia, perfectly explains the health improvements that stem from volunteering. The study indicated that altruism and empathy cultivated through volunteering is the most likely reason for the health enhancements. Subsequently, the article shows that not only do volunteer beneficiaries receive gains – volunteers benefit as well. A reduction in body mass index and levels of inflammation as well as better cholesterol profiles are all examples of the benefits of volunteering. Thus, if you want to have a long, healthy life, it is vital to not only have a healthy diet and exercise regularly, but also to be involved with local non-profits and enhance your empathy towards others!

Well what do you know! It's the one-year anniversary of our Non-Profit Video Picks series. Congratulations - and a humongous thank you - are in order to Ray Wang, who's written every single one of these posts and, even more impressively, has submitted each of them on time (which is kind of important, considering this is a monthly series). What will the future bring? More videos, probably. Oh, and we promise we won't resort to posting cute cat videos just to boost our readership. Well, maybe one or two, because really, who can resist Maru? Apart from a few quick cat-related interludes, however, we're going to keep bringing you some of the finest non-profit videos the Internet has to offer. Read on to see what Ray found this month.  

GOOD: Safe Water Solutions for Kenya

The water filter distributed in the Vestergaard Frandsen: LifeStraw campaign is a brilliant invention that has impacted Kenyan communities immensely by eradicating diarrhea, a disease that has had a devastating effect on young children: it’s responsible for nearly 20% of child deaths worldwide. The development and distribution of this innovative filtration tool has allowed Kenyan children to be healthy and attend school, and adults to be productive and go to work. This improvement in health will gradually enable Kenyans to develop a more functional society, where people will have proper education and knowledge to pursue their careers and personal goals and be able to benefit the rest of the community.

Vivienne Westwood Selects Flag For The Future

Global competitions like Flag For The Future are an excellent way of allowing young, passionate talents, either working individually or collaboratively, to use their skills as a means to better the world. Competitions such as Flag For The Future allow people from different parts of the world to share their vision and innovative ideas through graphic design or other mediums, and influence and empower more people. Moreover, the designs showcased in this clip are all unique and powerful. Any of them would make a great flag for the seabed at the North Pole!

Danielle's Story

Danielle’s short but powerful story illustrates how rapidly things can change in our lives and how fragile life truly is. However, thanks to a caring community, blood donations and financial support have assisted victims that require immediate blood transfusions to survive. In Danielle’s story, she was fortunate enough to receive several transfusions from 14 different donors, which ultimately saved her life. By showing the harrowing experience of a blood recipient, this video does an excellent job of encouraging people to donate blood through the Canadian Blood Services. Personally, I will try overcoming my fear of needles and blood and make an appointment at the Canadian Blood Services soon!

Bridging the Worlds of Faith and Conservation

The environmental issues we are facing today, such as climate change and the growing number of endangered species, impact each and every one of us, regardless of our religious beliefs. Despite our differences in religion, major environmental catastrophes can harm all living beings in this world and it is vital for us to take action today. WWF’s Sacred Faith initiative is a brilliant program that allows the organization to spread its message by partnering with influential religious leaders, such as the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje of Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. These world leaders are highly credible individuals who have immense sway with their countless followers across the world. Moreover, by partnering with just a few leaders, WWF is able to reach out to millions of people globally and educate them on the importance of environmentalism and animal rights. Well done, WWF!

How Yoga Can Help in California's Overcrowded Prisons

We can't embed this one, sadly, so you'll have to click the link above to view the video. It was shot at San Quentin State Prison, where both Johnny Cash and Metallica have played concerts. We mention that only because we wanted you to picture Johnny Cash doing yoga. Picturing it yet? Good. Hope that made your day!

James Fox, Founder and Director of The Prison Yoga Project, is assisting prisoners to reduce their anger and violent behaviour through yoga lessons. Undeniably, changing these prisoners’ behaviours is extremely important to society’s wellbeing, as 7 in 10 California inmates end up in prison within three years of their release. Although I am not familiar with yoga, I do have a general understanding of its concepts and goals. I’m glad to see individuals like James using unique practices to help prisoners lessen their anger, distraction, and addiction, and ultimately become productive members of society. After all, the government (the United States, in this case) needs to find a remedy that keeps newly released prisoners from reoffending and being imprisoned again. It’s a poor use of taxpayer dollars and shows a lack of effort in assisting newly released prisoners to build a new life. James’ yoga lessons are truly beneficial to the inmates because the teaching attempts to solve the core of these prisoners’ issues: their profound anger and impulsiveness. As noted in the video, many of these prisoners have stated that after taking yoga lessons, they are able to think before they act and are able to walk away from certain situations. One prisoner even says that he wants to become a better father and a productive citizen. In my opinion, this is exactly the kind of result that James is trying to achieve.

The Youth Now program, as its name implies, is a program for young people - participants must be under 26 years of age. But how does it feel to be the youngest in the program? Intimidating, we imagine, and perhaps even a little overwhelming. Nevertheless, there always has to be a youth among the youth. This year, it was Cynthia Ruan, who served on the Board of the Thompson Community Association. She sees being the youngest as a good thing: it just means she'll have more time to put what she's learned into practice.  

Through the Leadership Richmond Youth Now program, I have gained many things.

The first is experiencing the reality of being a leader, and how difficult it is to be expected to naturally know what leadership is. My time on the Board of Directors at Thompson Community Association has taught me that I am still very young and have a long way to go down the road to becoming a good leader.

At first I was not very confident in my abilities to be able to contribute to an organization that is already so successful. I spent many hours trying to decide on what I could do, and after browsing through the seasonal programs guide, I finally found a project – something I was interested in and something that I thought would be beneficial for the community. I learned that no matter how successful something already is, there is always room for improvement.

The second thing I’ve gained is an opportunity to meet amazing individuals who have so many things to share. I thought about how I seemed lacking in comparison; how everyone older had already had so many adventures and seen things in the world that I cannot even fathom.

The skills she's gained, the people she's met, and the experiences she's had through our Youth Now program will help Cynthia Ruan (centre) become a brilliant community leader.

As the year progressed, however, I had an epiphany; the benefit of being the youngest is that, in the future, I will be able to use this experience and the leadership skills I have both gained and improved upon. My time to shine, as most would say, has not come yet, and I know if I work hard, I will eventually be like the people who inspire me, and perhaps even inspire others.

I’ve also gained a new perspective on leadership. Before, I thought being a leader had everything to do with having the answers and making the right decisions. Now I know that is not even one-third of being a true leader.

What makes one a true leader is their followers. In order to become a leader, I had to first find someone I wanted to follow, to understand why I wanted to follow them, and to determine what about that person inspired me.

This past year, I have followed my mentors on a journey to discover leadership, and now I am ready to become a community leader.

For our staff, volunteering at the Richmond Food Bank was a great experience. For Volunteer Richmond Communications Coordinator Ryan Luetzen, it was also a thought-provoking one. 

It’s now been two weeks since our staff volunteered at the Richmond Food Bank. We did it as part of National Volunteer Week, as a team-building exercise. Our agency has experience working with low-income families, primarily through the Richmond Christmas Fund, but our time at the Food Bank was still eye-opening, at least for me.

They say that small acts multiplied over time can – and will – lead to big change. For those of us involved in the non-profit sector, this is something we both have to accept and need to believe.

We have to accept that small acts, in all likelihood, are the best we’ll ever be able to do. We need to take heart and find encouragement in each incremental step we take. Giant leaps towards a better world, even a stronger community, are rare. Rarer still is the combination of money, resources, and motivation that makes such leaps possible. So instead, we have to accept that working for change is a grind.

That’s okay, though, as long as we believe that change, eventually, will come, and that our work does in fact matter. Of course, seeing positive results – the fruits of our labour – will strengthen that belief. Often times, however, the results are as small as the acts themselves, and we inevitably ask the question, Is the grind worth it? What do we need to see or feel or experience to convince us that yes, it is?

Volunteer Richmond staff at the Food Bank.

Flash back to the Food Bank. My job for the morning was to hand out deodorant, one of many items that clients received in their “Spring Relief Packs.” It wasn’t just a small act – it was the smallest imaginable. Quite frankly, it felt like an empty gesture. But I kept repeating it, over and over again. I’d take a stick of deodorant and put it in a client’s bag, and they’d smile and thank me and move on. I did this at least 100 times, and at some point along the way, it stopped feeling so empty. Quite the opposite, really – it felt fulfilling. Small acts do indeed build up over time, in this case over the course of a morning. And it wasn’t just my small acts, but those of my colleagues and the dozens of Food Bank volunteers and staff. Together, these small acts meant that clients would have the basic necessities to get through the next week.

In the grand scheme of things, we made an incremental difference in the community. In the lives of clients, however, the difference was profound. And perhaps that's the best way to look at small acts: with a magnifying glass. If you ever doubt that the grind is worth it, look a little more closely at the big picture. Your small acts may seem insignificant in terms of changing the world, but in changing a life? On that scale, I think we can all make giant leaps. 

1,480. That's the word count of this blog post. It's our longest ever, and it comes courtesy of Chris Lim, a recent graduate of our Youth Now program. We thought about editing the post, making it a little shorter, but then thought better of it. Chris clearly got a lot out of his Youth Now experience, and what he has to say is well worth reading, particularly if you're a young person contemplating taking the program in the future. So yeah, just dive right in. When 1,500 words are written with this much enthusiasm, they go by surprisingly quick. 

The Youth Now program is an amazing experience. Throughout this process I have learned valuable lessons that will help me throughout my education and careers. Since this is something that will be posted online on the VRIS blog, I would like to first state how thankful I am to Jocelyn for providing me this opportunity. Jocelyn has provided me my big break to demonstrate how I am capable of contributing to the community. This reflection will provide future Youth Now leaders with knowledge gained from my experience in the 2012-13 Youth Now program.

Through my experience with the Steveston Community Society and the bike park, I gained a better understanding of how the City of Richmond makes decisions. For the bike park project, I consulted with a city planner, coordinated the events that would take place, and participated in the decision making process. In addition to this, I assisted the Steveston Community Society with a wide variety of events, including the Christmas Craft Fair. I also helped out with interviews and contributed to the preface of the board manual.

I believe that I did the best I could within the time constraints of everything else. The program and the Steveston Community Society provided multiple opportunities to immerse myself in higher roles in a non-profit organization. As a result of this program I learned several elements that will help me succeed. First: whatever actions or activities you do in the program, there will always be some form of learning. No matter what steps you take or what activities you do, there will be areas that are easier than others. Even though something may not turn out the way you want, you can still learn from it and adapt for next time.

It is important to acknowledge that everyone is different. Instead of trying to change people, you have to find a balance in which you accept everyone’s personality while still remaining focused on your goals. Remember: the cohesiveness of the group affects your activity or project. Through the Youth Now program, I was delegated with bringing our 2012-13 Youth Now group together for a film project. During this process, after trying to get everyone together formally, I realised that this was not the appropriate process or time to go through such formality. It was a time where the process had to be sped up, so I got a small group of the Youth Now members together and we set a date for planning, and whoever could come, would come. This idea would allow us to keep moving with our project, have a plan in place, and maintain some small flexibility for those that may have beneficial input during the day of filming. Throughout this process, I realised that I couldn’t – and shouldn’t – do it all alone, that I could use other Youth Now leaders’ strengths, networks, and abilities to move the process forward more quickly and efficiently. Therefore, those who were available could help with the process, while those who preferred to be more passive could just come and do what was stated in the plan. Also, those with different strengths, or those who had no opinion on the project, would not feel forced to participate and thus be more willing to contribute when needed.

During this experience, I realised that trying to take on everything was a bit excessive. Instead, I should do things to the best of my abilities, and that in some cases less is a lot more. At the beginning I wanted to work on a project that would be better and bigger than all other Youth Now projects; my goal was to save the Steveston bike park. This attempt failed miserably, but what I learned is that the steps I took could be considered small projects in and of themselves. For me, as a youth trying to get more involved in the community, it was a powerful learning experience, since it led me through the process of what I had to do and when, and the exact steps I would need to take for any future large projects. Along with this, after feeling let down over not completing the project, I began to get more heavily invested in a lot of small voluntary events with the Steveston Community Society, which in turn brought a greater immediate contribution to the community while demonstrating to the Society and the city staff how dedicated I was to assisting in a variety of different sectors.

Chris Lim perched on what appears to be the top of the world.

One of the most important elements in this program is the opportunity to network. The program provides multiple opportunities to connect without really having to go out of your comfort zone if you are an introvert. Throughout the program you become connected to your fellow participants, who may or may not have the same goals as you. At the same time they may bring different strengths and knowledge, and expand your peer network. Along with this, through the program I have been connected to my peers’ mentors. Each meeting provides you an opportunity to talk to the other mentors and get to know them, which provides further opportunities for growth either during or after the program. I was also able to expand my network at each event and youth conference. At each of these events we were provided the opportunity to learn from and connect with a variety of presenters and individuals in important roles who are able to answer questions and provide you direction with where you would like to go. Lastly, through the organization I was placed at, the Steveston Community Society, I was able to meet several individuals who are in a position I would like to be in in the near future. They heard my interests and helped provide me opportunities to participate in activities that would facilitate those future opportunities.

One of the most memorable quotes I have learned from Jocelyn is: “What you put in is what you will get out.” The program is a gateway to a variety of different opportunities. There are opportunities to volunteer for the community, gain experience, make new connections. However, if you simply coast through the program, for the simple sake of having the title of being in the program, you will miss so many different chances to participate, learn, and have a meaningful experience. The program goes by very quickly, so make sure to try to maximize your time; otherwise, the opportunities will quickly fly by.

Finally, I believe that one key aspect of this program is that the Youth Now group is brought together; everyone has different views and comes for different reasons. Some may be here for school, some to learn, some to gain a title, or, like myself, be here to do all that and get a chance to do everything that I have stated above. I personally wanted to expand my network as much as I could, bringing into it people I would not normally meet on a daily basis (being an introvert and all), while also being able to finally make that jump to volunteer and participate with a community centre recreation board. These different views are also what make this program so great, because you do not have all those people who just list stuff for their CV, or feel entitled and above everyone. Instead, you have people who really want to make a contribution in a specific area or learn how to work in the non-profit sector. These differences help you understand where people are coming from and, for me, make the program more interesting. Through these differences it provides you greater hope that people’s values and rights will continue to be heard, that there are genuinely good people in the world, there are people like myself who are just looking for that shot to show what they have and what they can do and that you do not have to fit a specific mould to do so. At the same time, I learned that these differences also make it hard for everyone to get together, because program participants need to understand why they should come together or why they should assist in something that may not fit their values or purpose of joining the Youth Now program.

I hope that my thoughts, failures, and explanations highlight how amazing the program is, and how it has provided me opportunities to succeed. I hope that future Youth Now Leaders can learn from what I have learned, and use their knowledge in a variety of ways to help them grow not necessarily into the next saviour, but the next good person who now has the tools to help themselves and others.

I would also like to thank Jocelyn for allowing me to contribute in a variety of ways, such as the Youth Now video. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to show what I can do.

We nominated Amanda Oye for a Volunteers Are Stars award because, over the past two and a half years, she's been a brilliant writer for our organization. Our hope was that she'd attend the event and have a good time. Certainly, we didn't expect her to write about it. This blog post, then, stands as proof of her dedication. She came up to us after the event and indicated that she wanted to write about her experience. Thanks, Amanda, for making us an offer we couldn't refuse!

On Monday, April 22, fittingly at the beginning of National Volunteer Week, Volunteer Richmond held their annual Volunteers Are Stars awards night at the River Rock Show Theatre. There were 52 individuals and groups nominated to receive awards for their contributions to the community.

I attended the awards night, thanks to Ryan at Volunteer Richmond, as a nominee instead of in my usual capacity as a writer.

Awards Night

My experience at the awards dinner was pretty incredible. I am used to going to awards nights and charity events as a reporter, so it was definitely a little strange being there without my notebook and pen, scribbling things down as the evening unfolded. There were times throughout the event when I felt a strong urge to go into my purse and pull out a pen and start jotting down notes about the award winners and the speeches they were making.

Despite not having my notebook to hide behind, I had a great time just enjoying things and taking it all in. The entire evening was amazing from the chicken we had for dinner to the keynote speech from Rick Hansen, which engaged and inspired the whole room - no easy task, as there were hundreds of guests. Altogether, it was a wonderful evening of enjoying being amongst a lot of really amazing people.

You might need to put on a pair of sunglasses to view this photo - it features all 52 Volunteers Are Stars nominees. Photo by Rob Newell / The Richmond Review

Volunteering, as I came to find after hearing the speeches from the winners and talking to some of the nominees, is about so much more than just giving back. Volunteers are passionate about what they do. They are passionate about the causes they support and they truly want to help others. They are always willing to put whatever skills and resources they have to good use. I always knew that Richmond had a strong sense of community and of volunteerism, but that fact had never been clearer or more obviously true than at the awards dinner.

The best part of the night for me was seeing the winners get up on stage and accept their awards. They were all inspiring, from the volunteer who has been helping the community for more than four decades to the volunteer who never stopped helping others, even as she found herself coping with a significant personal loss. One of the winners overcame addiction and now shares her story with others, and another heard about a family that was struggling and leapt at the chance to help make their lives easier - by putting together a project to build them a new house! The groups that took home awards have done amazing work in the community as well, volunteering their time and expertise and working on initiatives that help to raise money for community projects, including playgrounds and medical equipment.

Getting up on the stage after dinner with all of my fellow nominees for a group photo was a humbling experience. Each and every one of them has contributed in a big way to making Richmond such a strong and caring community.

Special Congratulations to All of the Winners of the 2013 Volunteers Are Stars Awards

Shooting Star Award: Catherine McDonald

Shooting Star Award: Amy Wang

Shining Star Award: Ampri Group

Nova Star Award (which had a tie for the first year ever): the Cinevolution Media Arts Society and the Steveston Salmon Festival Organizing Committee

Milan Ilich Award for Leadership (in its inaugural year): Brian Williams

Constellation Award – Community Group: the Richmond Hospital Healthcare Auxiliary

Constellation Award for Community Group: the Richmond RCMP Auxiliary Constables

Constellation Award for Individual Community Service: Gaby Merner

Constellation Award for Individual Community Service: George Atkinson

On April 25th, 12 young leaders graduated from the 2012-13 Leadership Richmond - Youth Now program. Over the past eight months, they've been serving as board members for local non-profit organizations, and gaining a wealth of experience in the process. We felt that that newly-gained experience would make for some pretty compelling blog posts, so we asked each youth to write one. First to share her insights on the program, as well as leadership in general, is Alice Honiqin. 

During the Youth Now interview process, the Program Coordinator, Jocelyn, told me not to be too disappointed if I wasn't selected for the program. There are different types of leaders, she said, adding that she believes all youth have the potential to lead. I'm happy to say that, thanks to Youth Now, I was able to have this wonderful opportunity with the Richmond Art Gallery Association and also to really learn what leadership entails and think over what it means to have leadership potential.

Alice Honiqin continues to be an active board member with the Richmond Art Gallery.

There are certain qualities that people ascribe to leaders: confidence, charm, communication skills, foresight, persistence, creativity - the list goes on. I never considered myself a leader. I used to believe that leadership was something people were naturally born with. Of course one could develop leadership qualities, and environmental factors could either help or hinder that development, but the cold fact remained: some people just had it and others didn't. I lacked leadership ability so, I figured, why should I even start?

The obvious problem with this idea is that it proscribes the possibility that the ceiling on a person's true leadership potential is something that no one can predict. My experience with Youth Now has taught me that there are only two things a person needs to start their leadership journey: to be passionate about something and to be compassionate of others' needs. Passion so that you can keep motivated about making something happen and compassion so that you aware of other people's contributions and interests. Building on this foundation, I've learned a little more about myself and my leadership style through the program. More importantly, I've learned to appreciate the potential for leadership in everyone and to recognize that leadership is a journey, with an unknowable end, that you can only take one step at a time.