Did you know?

More than 100 young leaders have graduated from the Youth Now program.

Each year, over 100 non-profit professionals attend our training opportunities.

Over two dozen non-profit organizations have participated in the Youth Now program.

The CCRR provides nearly 400 child care referrals per year.

On average, the CCRR hosts 30 workshops and training courses each year.

Every year, over 500 child care providers and parents attend CCRR training opportunities.

Every year, RCRG completes over 3,000 grocery orders for local seniors.

Nearly 300 seniors make use of our Better at Home services.

Our volunteer drivers complete more than 1,200 trips annually.

At least 350 people per year find a volunteer position using our Volunteer Match program.

Close to 500 volunteers support RCRG’s programs and services.

Volunteers contribute nearly 23,000 hours to our organization each year.

Each holiday season, the Richmond Christmas Fund helps more than 2,200 low-income residents.

Every year, the Christmas Fund provides over 600 children with toys, books, and sports equipment.

The Richmond Christmas Fund was first started by Ethel Tibbits, in the 1930s.

The number of Neighbourhood Small Grants we’ve awarded has increased every year since 2014.

Block parties are the most popular type of Neighbourhood Small Grant project.

Every year, the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre serves over 7,300 local women.

The Richmond Women’s Resource Centre currently offers 16 programs and services.

Nearly 60 volunteers support the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre, contributing nearly 2,500 hours per year.

Richmond is home to over 350 registered charities, all of which rely on volunteer support.

There are nearly 13 million volunteers across Canada.

International Volunteer Day is celebrated throughout the world on December 5.

There are 35 volunteer centres in British Columbia.

In 2016, the Foundation awarded 10 grants to non-profit organizations, worth a combined $59,000.

The Foundation manages $6 million in 60 Forever Funds, returning, on average, CPI plus 4%.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Foundation distributed $656,000 in grants, scholarships, charitable disbursements, and Emergency Community Support Funds.

Foundation activities result in the enhancement of our community and residents’ sense of belonging.

ROCA has raised over $21,000 for local charities.

ROCA has performed its Elementary School Concert Series to over 8,000 students.

ROCA provides mentoring and life changing opportunities for aspiring musicians.

The Richmond Arts Coalition was founded in November of 2005.

RAC co-produces the ArtRich exhibition every two years!

RAC highlights Richmond's arts events in a monthly email.

The Richmond Music School is the oldest not-for-profit music school in Richmond.

The Richmond Music School offers affordable music lessons through its diverse programming.

Our students performed 40 hours of music to welcome the Olympic athletes to the 2010 Olympic Games.

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Community Up Close

Published January 20, 2020

The 2019-20 edition of our Leadership Richmond - Youth Now program is in the home stretch, with only a few months remaining. Since last September, six young and brilliant community leaders have each been serving on a non-profit board of directors. Along the way, they've learned about board governance and non-profit leadership, but have also made significant contributions of their own, providing fresh insights and sharing unique skills that have made their organizations stronger.

As the program draws to a close, we've asked each youth leader to prepare a blog post, describing their experience in the program and some of their favourite memories. Up first is Shawn Badesha, who's serving as a board member with RCRG.

Compassion. Community. Responsibility. Words that I never truly understood, not in the way that I do now. I remember my first day as a board mentee like it was yesterday, eagerly waiting at the Richmond Caring Place to meet Ed Gavsie, President & CEO of RCRG.

He greeted me with a firm handshake and a sense of belief. A belief that I had as much to contribute as anyone on the board; it made me feel as though I had served on the board my entire life. He handed me an RCRG pamphlet with a phrase that I never forgot: “For Community. Forever.” Three words. They stuck with me.

It was at Windows of Hope that I realized how accurate these words were. Hundreds of volunteers flooded through the doors of Richmond Acura, rallying to support their community, to raise money for the Richmond Christmas Fund, a program that is dedicated to spreading the holiday spirit to the less fortunate by providing children with toys, books, and sports equipment.

After chatting with some of the other volunteers, I learned that the program was started back in the 1930s by a Richmond local, Ethel Tibbits. I was astonished that the program was still operating more than 90 years since its inception, a testament to the community’s commitment to supporting each other.

Soon after, we began painting the windows of car dealerships, where I got to connect with my fellow Youth leaders as well as work with other community members; I realized how special this event was to them . . . now to me.

Just when we were about to finish, a marching band of about 30 children, who I imagined as Santa’s elves, crowded the small office space where we were working, holding flutes, trumpets, clarinets, every instrument that you could name.

They played “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” commemorating our hard work. It was then that I realized how important this was, how much the Richmond community appreciated the help of volunteers.

Later, I learned that they had played the song for every volunteer group, parading across the Auto Mall amid winter to bring a smile to our faces. I thought back to what I had read on the pamphlet, what had stuck with me: “For Community. Forever.” I realized that it wasn’t just a mission statement for RCRG; it aptly described the Richmond community as a whole and their dedication to helping each other.

If someone asks me what I have learned in the Youth Now program, it would be that the Richmond community cares about me, cares about you, cares about us. That through its determination, resilience, and persistence, many folks will have had a Christmas, many kids will have had gifts, and many people will have realized that it all happened because Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives.

Leadership Richmond - Youth Now is funded by the Government of Canada's Canada Service Corps and Coast Capital Savings.