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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November Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Sangita!

Published October 28, 2026

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers! To celebrate, we're highlighting a different RCRG volunteer each month. We hope that their inspiring stories help to Ignite Volunteerism in our community and encourage you to start your own volunteer journey.

Sometimes, giving back starts with receiving. For Sangita Sah, her connection to volunteering with RCRG’s Richmond Christmas Fund began with a personal experience that she has carried with her ever since.

Sangita moved to Canada from Nepal in 2011. During her first year here, she and her family were living on a low income when her husband learned about the Richmond Christmas Fund. Their children received toys through the program, and Sangita remembers feeling incredibly grateful. At the time, she didn’t even know the program existed. After living in Richmond for a few years, she realized how close she was to the Christmas Fund and wanted to give back to a program that had once supported her family. In 2015, she began volunteering with RCRG.

Since then, Sangita has supported the Richmond Christmas Fund in several ways, including becoming a volunteer greeter and spending much of her time in the Toy Room, sorting toys for families during the holiday season. She is now working as a Registration Assistant, where she continues to support families in a new way.

Her desire to help others began long before she moved to Canada. In Nepal, Sangita volunteered at a school, helping children in her community. She also volunteered through a Baptist church, including helping with soccer. That love of working with others has continued throughout her life and career. For the past seven years, Sangita has worked as an Education Assistant, supporting children with disabilities in schools. More recently, she began volunteering with the Richmond Centre for Disability because she wants to gain experience working with adults with disabilities and autism.

With work and family commitments, Sangita cannot volunteer as much as she would like, but whenever she can, she makes time. Her friends often ask how she manages to fit volunteering into her busy life, but for Sangita, it is not an obligation. It is something she is passionate about. She loves meeting people, talking with them, and being part of her community. One word she uses to describe volunteering is "fulfilling."

That fulfillment comes from knowing she is helping others. Sangita believes you do not have to do something big to make a difference. Even something as simple as making one person smile can change their day. She once thought she needed to do something bigger to create change, but learned that every little bit matters, even if it is only helping one person at a time.

Volunteering has also changed how Sangita sees her community. At festivals and community events, she notices the volunteers working behind the scenes and sees how essential they are. She agrees volunteers are the backbone of a community, helping create the connection and atmosphere that make communities stronger.

Sangita also hopes her volunteering sets an example for her children. Her daughter has volunteered since elementary school and now continues to volunteer at university, sharing her mother’s desire to help people and give back.

For Sangita, volunteering is a way to turn gratitude into action. Years ago, her family experienced the kindness of a community that supported them. Today, she is helping create that same experience for others. Her advice to anyone considering volunteering is simple: “Just go for it.” You may meet new people, make a difference, and discover that even a small act of kindness can be deeply fulfilling.