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Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives has revamped Volunteers Are Stars Awards.

Photo courtesy Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives

April 14 to 20 is National Volunteer Week, organizations and communities can thank their volunteers in a creative way.

Photo courtesy Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives

Natasha Jung (middle) will be presenting at Trinity Western University Richmond on March 26, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Photo courtesy Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives

On March 13, Child Care Resource & Referral Centre will be hosting a workshop answering a simple question: Should I Be Concerned?

Photo courtesy Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives

Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives: Rearranging the Stars

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 11:31 PST, Mon March 4, 2024

Last Updated: 11:57 PST, Mon March 4, 2024

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Rearranging the Stars

Normally, at this time of year, Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives (RCRG) would be accepting nominations for the Volunteers Are Stars Awards. RCRG has decided to take a break and look at ways of breathing new life into the event, so it can emerge as a more inclusive and more sustainable celebration of Richmond’s volunteer spirit.

Volunteers Are Stars isn’t going away, this is just another step in its evolution, which has seen the event go from a gala dinner and awards ceremony, to a more information—but still meaningful and celebratory—cocktail redemption and community gathering.

The main focus is inclusivity, Richmond has thousands of amazing volunteers, but each year, only a few dozen are nominated for a Volunteers Are Stars Award. RCRG believes they’ve done well, recognizing the remarkable impact of a small number of individuals and groups; but have been less successful in highlighting the sheer breadth of volunteer work that happens throughout the community on a daily basis.

A more inclusive event will still honour extraordinary volunteer achievements, while opening new space to celebrate the broader constellations of community service in which so many Richmond residents participate.

The hope is that, when Volunteers Are Stars returns next year, the new format will spark renewed excitement, and provides a fresh foundation on which the event can grow and evolve alongside the community.

National Volunteer Week: Every Moment Matters

Volunteers Are Stars isn’t happening this year, but National Volunteer Week most certainly is. From April 14 to 20, communities and organizations across Canada will thank their volunteers in all kinds of creative ways, using Every Moment Matters as a theme to tie their activities together.

RCRG have decided to build a photo collection, capturing the volunteer moments that make the community shine. The photos will be shared across all social media channels and, if all goes according to plan, included in a public art project.

How to participate:

Gather some photos of yourself volunteering. These photos can also feature friends, family members, neighbours, colleagues, or anyone else who's part of your volunteer crew.
Write a short blurb that gives the photo(s) some context: Where do you volunteer, and what does your role entail? Why do you volunteer? How does your volunteer work benefit the community?
Send the photos and the blurb to jdewolff@rcrg.org by Monday, March 25.
In the days leading up to National Volunteer Week, keep an eye on your email, as we'll reach out to provide updates on the art project, and to let you know when your photo(s) will be posted on social media.

Master the Art of Storytelling

We're excited to announce that our next Community Accelerator workshop will be presented by Natasha Jung, a brilliant entrepreneur who happens to have a strong connection to RCRG: back in 2009, she was one of the earliest graduates of our Youth Now leadership program.

Today, Natasha is the founder, chief executive officer, and executive producer of Cold Tea Collective, a community-driven media outlet for the Asian diaspora. Her Community Accelerator session will focus on Storytelling & Media Messaging—skills with which Natasha has built a successful career.

During her talk, she'll introduce the foundational elements of telling a good story, and teach participants how to promote their projects and ideas, with the goal of capturing the media's attention and the community's imagination.

Storytelling & Media Messaging

Presented by Natasha Jung

Tuesday, March 26 | 6 to 8 p.m.

Trinity Western University - Richmond | Minoru Campus

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Community Accelerator workshops are open to Richmond youth between the ages of 15 and 25. They're free to attend, and are designed to help young people broaden their community involvement, gain employment skills, and take their first steps as emerging social entrepreneurs.

The program is funded by the RBC Foundation, as part of RBC Future Launch.

Learn How to Interpret Children’s Behaviour

Children play and learn in different ways. At what point, however, should these differences become concerning?

Perhaps a child is in motion all the time, seemingly unable to sit still or stop fidgeting. Or maybe a child refuses to make eye contact, be it with adults or other children. Could these be signs of ADHD or autism?

Interpreting children's behaviour can be challenging. On the one hand, you don't want to overreact. On the other, you don't want to miss potential signs of an underlying health condition.

On March 13, in a workshop hosted by our Child Care Resource & Referral Centre, you'll learn how to answer a simple question: Should I Be Concerned?

Led by Pam Collins, a Positive Behaviour Support Consultant, the session will explore the root causes of children's behaviour, which depends on how safe they feel in themselves, in their environment, and in their relationship with a caring adult.

You'll come away a more perceptive observer of children's behaviour - confident both in what you're seeing and why it's happening.

Should I Be Concerned?

Presented by Pam Collins

Wednesday, March 13 | 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Richmond Caring Place

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER