October Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Winnie!

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.

Not everyone knows exactly where their path will lead. For Winnie Jang, it was through years of volunteering that she discovered where she truly belonged.

Today, Winnie teaches kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students, but teaching was not always the plan. After studying psychology, she considered different career paths, including research and law. It was her experiences volunteering with children that helped her realize what she enjoyed most and inspired her to become the educator she is today.

Winnie's volunteer journey began at just 13 years old when her parents encouraged her to get involved in the community. Knowing she was naturally quiet and reserved, they hoped volunteering would help her step outside her comfort zone, build confidence, and connect with new people. What started as a single opportunity soon became a lifelong passion.

Over the years, Winnie has volunteered with Richmond community centre summer camps, the Richmond Chinese Community Society, Big Sisters as a mentor, animal shelters, cat sanctuaries, and many other organizations. Each experience helped her develop new skills, meet people from different backgrounds, and discover the importance of meaningful connections.

In April 2025, Winnie joined RCRG as an Early Years Library volunteer. Before the library flooded that summer, she spent much of her time welcoming families, greeting parents and early childhood educators, checking returned library kits, and ensuring materials were complete and ready for the next borrower. When the flood temporarily closed the library, volunteering came to an unexpected pause. As soon as the library reopened, Winnie was eager to return.

Although her role has slightly changed, she continues to make an impact behind the scenes by repairing books, organizing materials, completing quality checks on library kits, and becoming familiar with the library’s resources. As a resource teacher who supports students with diverse learning needs, Winnie has even brought some of these materials into her classroom to support her students.

Through her many volunteer experiences, Winnie has learned that the most meaningful part of giving back is the relationships built along the way. Whether she is connecting with families, collaborating with fellow volunteers, or meeting people with different life experiences, each interaction has strengthened her connection to the community. It is why she describes volunteering as “relational.”

For Winnie, volunteering is a two-way experience. While she is supporting others, she is also continuing to learn, grow, and gain perspectives that shape both her personal life and her career. Although volunteering does not come with the tangible rewards often associated with work, she believes it offers something much deeper. The skills she develops, the confidence she builds, and the connections she creates are meaningful reminders that the impact of volunteering goes both ways.

Even while working full time, Winnie believes there is always a way to make time for volunteering. Her advice to others is to find a role that sparks curiosity, challenges them to learn something new, or connects with something they care about. Sometimes, a small commitment can lead to unexpected opportunities and lasting change.

From a shy teenager taking her first step into volunteering to a teacher inspiring the next generation, Winnie's journey shows that volunteering can transform not only communities, but the people who dedicate their time to them.