Volunteers are what make a community strong during tough times and a Richmond non-profit is recognizing local Richmondites who have been doing just that.
As National Volunteer Week approaches, Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives (RCRG) has announced all 21 nominees in their respective categories for this year’s annual Volunteers Are Stars Awards.
Volunteerism, according to RCRG, is deeply rooted in Richmond and the list of nominees is “by no means comprehensive and it never could be.”
This year’s volunteers range from youths, individuals and volunteer groups that have showcased passion, dedication and kindness in Richmond during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nova Star Award
The Nova Star Award recognizes individual volunteers whose contributions go above and beyond in Richmond. These individuals have taken leadership roles to improve and benefit their communities by inspiring others to do the same.
Nominees for this award are: Maisy Debray with Mamas for Mamas Vancouver; Patricia Lang with the Richmond RCMP; Jat Puri with West Richmond Community Association; Rowena Silver-Bridson with Kehila Society of Richmond; Don Taylor with West Richmond Community Association; Ray Wang with RCRG and Rosina Yip with Chimo Community Services.
Constellation Award
This award celebrates the idea that working together can allow groups to accomplish work in a meaningful way. Nominated groups have addressed key community issues from crisis intervention to parenting support and public safety.
Volunteer groups nominated for this year’s award are: Chimo Crisis Line Volunteer Mentors; FunforGOal Foundation; Mamas for Mamas Vancouver; RCRG Shopping Volunteers; Richmond Olympic Experience 500 Hour Club; Richmond RCMP Community Engagement Volunteers; Vancouver Fraser Lions Club and Walk Richmond Volunteers.
Shooting Star Award
RCRG believes outstanding youth volunteers, under the age of 25, are on the road to becoming amazing leaders in the community. The Shoot Star Award recognizes youths who aim to empower other young people, support mental health and create intergenerational connections.
This year’s nominees for the award are: Josh Evangelista; Ailah McGillivray; Rishika Selvakumar and Zimo Wang.
Star of Richmond Award
The Star of Richmond Award recognizes Richmond volunteers who have dedicated countless hours of service to the community over an extended period of time. This year, Jean Garnett with the Canadian Federation of University Women and Melissa Zhang with the Vancouver Fraser Lions Club, have been nominated for the Star of Richmond Award for their unwavering leadership work that has left a mark in the community.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the winners of the Volunteers Are Stars Award will be announced in a virtual ceremony on April 21 with the ceremony video to be posted on the RCRG website the same day.
