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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Stepping Away from Old Age Stereotypes

Published June 15, 2018

Ageism is fueled by negative stereotypes - that seniors are frail, forgetful, and helpless. This false narrative creates barriers, whereby older adults lack opportunities to fully participate in, and contribute to, community life. To help change attitudes about seniors, and show them as they truly are - strong, capable, intelligent - we embarked on a yearlong project, called "Diffusing Ageism Through Education and Volunteerism." With the project recently concluded, our summer co-op student, Charlotte Choi, sat down with its leaders - all of them senior volunteers - to get their thoughts on ageism, and the positive steps they took in fostering a more accurate view of older adults.

Our Seniors Community Support Services department recently completed a yearlong project, called “Diffusing Ageism Through Education and Volunteerism.”

Funded by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, the project was led by an advisory committee, composed of eight older adult volunteers, who put together presentations and workshops for various groups of university students. Their goal was to raise awareness about ageism in Canada, and counteract the common negative stereotypes about older adults by providing opportunities for students to volunteer with seniors.

Reflecting on their experiences at a wrap-up lunch, the volunteers expressed their appreciation at being able to work together in a safe and open environment, with fellow volunteers as well as RCRG staff. They enjoyed the process of meeting everyone, learning from each other, and interacting with students at the presentations. Likewise, the staff at RCRG enjoyed meeting and working with the advisory committee.

The presentations put together by the volunteers were well-received, with positive evaluations and feedback from students. Marilyn, one of the volunteers, particularly enjoyed the way she saw students open up during the presentations.

But it wasn’t only the students who learned through the presentations; the volunteers learned much through carrying out the project as well. Linda, for example, talked about how her organizational and personal skills have developed, while Kathleen was able to ponder the idea of family and realize that there is more than one way of looking at families and how they're structured.

“Ageism is now in my vocabulary,” Kathleen said. The project also helped volunteers to see the ways ageism impacts everyone from birth through socialization. “It invited people to look at themselves,” noted Maureen. And perhaps something that was realized by staff, students, and volunteers is that change can begin through one’s self. “Everyone makes a difference no matter their age or ability,” Carol, the Manager of RCRG’s Seniors Community Support Services, shared.

Students learned that one of the best ways to counteract ageism was to interact with seniors in their own life, whether through volunteering or just getting to know their grandparents better. Looking back on the personal effects of working on this project, Linda commented, “We were able to change our own world and that affects our circles of influence.”

RCRG is always seeking volunteers for its Seniors Community Support Services. Opportunities are available as drivers, friendly visitors, grocery shopping assistants, and more. Browse current postings and apply online today!

Photo Caption: Some of the volunteers gathered with staff at a celebration wrap-up lunch, reflecting on their experiences over the past year, during which they served on the advisory committee for RCRG's "Diffusing Ageism Through Education and Volunteerism" project.