For a shy pre-teen whose family had just moved to Richmond from Malaysia, volunteering was Dennis Wang’s way into his new community.
The now 15-year-old recalled a time when he’d escape to Richmond’s Brighouse library, spending summer days within its walls and finding solace among the bookshelves.
“During my first summer break, I was sitting at home without anything to do,” said Dennis, who attended Steveston secondary for two years before transferring to St. George’s school in downtown Vancouver.
“So I thought it’d be cool to help out in the library since I frequented it a lot back then. I got to meet other kids my age and socialize with people. It was really special.”
It wasn’t long before Dennis, with the help of three other youth volunteers, began his own charity called Charity Brighouse, named after the library.
Charity Brighouse supports local initiatives — creating library programs for kids and helping at the Richmond Food Bank — as well as donating internationally to Free the Children.
Last month, Dennis received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award — the highest honour for volunteerism in the country. He was one of six youth volunteers receiving the award in Vancouver in October and met Free the Children’s Marc Kielburger and Spencer West.
“It was a big surprise for me,” said Dennis. “I wasn’t expecting to get something like this. It was so cool meeting Marc and Spencer West at the ceremony, then they asked me to participate at We Day.”
Charity Brighouse was born out of a lack of opportunities for youth engagement in Richmond, according to Dennis.
Once youth reach high school, there aren’t many ways for them to get involved in the community, nor are there many events geared toward them, he said.
He pinpoints this dearth on the fact that kids are pressured to focus on school and reach expectations set by parents and teachers. By the time they reach high school, many begin to lose their connection with their community.
“We want kids to believe volunteering is something they can do to gain leadership, communication, and other skills, not just something you can put on paper,” he said of his charity that advocates for youth involvement.
“It’s important to be involved and get that deeper connection with your community, to something outside your world.”
Dennis faced a few obstacles getting Charity Brighouse started, as there weren’t many resources for students looking to do what he was doing.
“We probably wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t have the passion for it,” he said. “Many students need the support to follow their passions. Their parents, teachers, should think more about the youth. Sometimes we need an extra push to do what we want.”
Charity Brighouse recently held a volunteer fair with 30 community organizations at the library to help youth see the wide range of opportunities available to them. Hundreds of youth turned up.
It’s come a long way from its beginnings in the summer of 2013.
Besides nine core volunteers, it now has about 100 on hand and Dennis has a friend hoping to start a branch in Port Moody.
It also became a federally registered not-for-profit organization last month.
“The proudest thing for me is seeing the really big difference from where we started and where we are now. We’re all really excited about it.”
One of Charity Brighouse’s earliest campaigns fundraised to donate 19 goats to developing communities through Free the Children. Goats are used to empower families in rural villages by providing them with an alternative income from selling the goat’s milk.
“Volunteering benefits the community,” Dennis said. “A lot of things wouldn’t be made possible without volunteers. It’s what connects a community. It has also helped me gain confidence and people skills.
“I get to meet new people, hear their stories, and get completely different perspectives.”
