Meet Our Volunteers!
Meet Our Volunteers!
April 14 – 20 is National Volunteer Week. This week and every week we celebrate the many incredible volunteers who make our work possible.
From welcoming families to supporting wellness programs to serving on the Board and Committees, our volunteers each bring their unique skills to the House and Family Room to create a community of support. This year’s theme for National Volunteer Week is Every Moment Matters, and that is truly at the core of what we do for families Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon.
We asked 5 volunteers what inspires them to volunteer! Read more about what brings them to RMH BC & Yukon.
Since January 2023, Aryelah Chaya Simon has become known at the House for her irresistible baked goods and her delicious mac n’ cheese. Volunteering in the kitchens on Friday mornings, she takes inspiration for her creations by thinking about what comfort foods families, and especially the children, may be craving while away from home.
How did you first get involved?
I first heard of RMH BC in high school and thought it was an amazing organization. Since then, I have always wanted the opportunity to volunteer at RMH BC. When I graduated, I was looking for opportunities to get involved, and saw that there was an opening for a volunteer baker, so I jumped on it right away! I love cooking for people to make them feel cared for during difficult times.
Is RMH BC & Yukon different from what you expected?
I knew what RMHBC was, but I did not know the extent of the support there is for the families, and how much detail goes into everything – from sandwiches to art therapy and various other activities and services.
What is your favourite part of volunteering?
I love the people, talking to everyone. It is the people who keep me coming back. The conversations are always memorable – last week I made pink sparkly cookies and so many little girls in the House came running up to see them.
I have loved making my buttercream cupcakes, and seeing people ecstatic about them. I suppose they add a glimmer to their day during a difficult time.
I have also brought my Auntie Dena, who has Rett Syndrome, to volunteer with me; we have both felt so welcomed. Volunteering at RMH BC really is the highlight of my week!
What do you do when you’re not volunteering at RMH BC & Yukon?
I am a volunteer in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Oncology/BMT/Haematology units at BC Children’s Hospital. I am a distance student through the University of Victoria in the Child and Youth Care program, specializing in Child Protection, with plans to become a Child Life Specialist.
I also love cooking at home for my family and especially for my younger brother who has severe food allergies. Spending time with and caring for my auntie, nature photography and writing poetry are among the things I do when I am not volunteering.
For almost 20 years, Andrew Hoffman of Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel has volunteered behind the scenes on RMH BC & Yukon’s Audit and Finance Committee, making sure that the organization upholds the highest standards of financial responsibility, and can meet the needs of families now and in the future.
How did you first get involved?
I was asked by a Board member to get involved, many years ago, before the hiring of Richard Pass (RMH BC & Yukon’s CEO). So yes, I am older than the furniture! I stayed on the Audit and Finance Committee – I know my skillset, the work I like doing, and the House accommodated me throughout the journey.
What is your most memorable experience while volunteering?
I have been to many A Night to Dream Galas over the years and quite often a family speaks of their experience at the House. One year a father stood up with his family and told their all-too-real experience. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
Two weeks later, while working my day job as an Investment Manager at Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel, I was meeting a Foundation client and was introduced to a new Committee member. This person and the parent speaking at the RMH BC & Yukon Gala were one and the same. Worlds collided. The families we serve can be your neighbours, colleagues, or family members.
If you could give one gift to the families at the House, what would you give?
Time together!
What would you like people to know about RMH BC & Yukon?
Support from the broader community is crucial, and speaking from an insider’s perspective – the House, its Board and Committees have all been incredible stewards of every dollar received.
Master Gardener Celeste Roberts heads up our Garden Therapy program at RMH BC & Yukon, directing other qualified Master Gardeners in planting, maintaining and harvesting our garden beds at the House, as well as arranging for donations of soil and seeds, giving families access to healthy fresh produce while they are far from home.
How did you first get involved?
I’ve known about Ronald McDonald House forever, even before the Master Gardeners program! I got involved last year, when Frank O’Neill decided to “pass the baton.” He started the gardening project in 2012 when the new House was being built.
What is your favourite part of volunteering?
It’s rewarding – it’s nice to meet new people and it’s satisfying to grow food and provide fresh food to people.
It’s fun when the kids come out to ask what we’re doing! They like to pick the berries in the raspberry and blueberry patches, and they want to help too. Sometimes they water for about 2 minutes and they’re off again – but it’s fun when they want to help!
Some parents are also really interested, especially if they have their own gardens at home. They want to ask about how we do things, the methods we use, and talk about what grows well where they live.
What would you like people to know about the House?
It’s really open and welcoming. There’s a positive feeling, in spite of the hardship that people are experiencing. The staff are positive, everybody’s helpful – it’s a lovely place. It’s great to see the kids running around!
What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering?
I like to paint with acrylics, go on walks, and visit friends. I have a garden at home, where I don’t grow food – I mainly grow ornamentals!
For the past 2 years, Louella Quan Charlston has been a familiar face around the House, supporting a variety of wellness programs such as Family Meals and Family Out-Trips. She also lends her support to fundraising events such as our Vancouver Invitational Golf Tournament and A Night to Dream Gala.
What is your favourite part of volunteering?
I always like to clean the kitchen before I leave, so that the kitchens are clean when parents come down in the morning. That’s something I love to do for them, make them feel good and feel welcome in that moment. I love meeting the families as well. Every one of them is so different!
I enjoy going on field trips with the families, helping out with fundraising events and meeting the McDonald’s Owner/Operators and other supporters – you can tell they really care about the kids.
Any time you come here, any time you see anyone, they’re so happy to see you! It’s a good feeling, everyone makes you feel so welcome. I’ve had various jobs since I retired 7 years ago, to keep busy – but I much prefer volunteering! The friendships that have been made while volunteering with the other volunteers is amazing.
If you could give one gift to the families at the House, what would you give?
The gift of recovery: they come here because their child is sick, and then they get to leave and they’re all better (which I know doesn’t happen every time). When you see a family for months and months, you’re sad to see them go at the end of treatment, but at the same time, SO happy for them because they’re able to go home.
What would you like people to know about the House?
I always say – go to the website, and learn more about volunteering! Also make sure to visit McDonald’s, even if you only have a coffee – it all makes a difference.
What do you do when you’re not volunteering?
I volunteer at other places! I do a lot of hiking and love going to movies. I love being around great people.
The Ronald McDonald Family Room at Surrey Memorial Hospital gives families precious moments of rest and relaxation together, and every Saturday night Samantha Lal helps make these moments possible, from preparing sleeping rooms, ensuring the toy area is clean and safe, and giving families a warm welcome when they use the Family Room.
How did you first get involved?
Growing up, I ate at McDonald’s a lot, and around the restaurant I would always see the RMHC logo. In my early 20s, I was looking to volunteer at different places, and spur of the moment decided to look it up. I read a little bit more about how RMH BC & Yukon keeps families together when they have critically ill children, which sparked more interest, and then I learned that there was a location at Surrey Memorial Hospital which was super convenient for me, allowing me to sign up for a consistent shift.
What is your favourite part of volunteering?
When one of the Family Room guests has a really great success story: when their baby or child that was ill is able to go home, and before they leave they come to visit and I get to meet the baby!
I’ve learned a lot about the human side of the medical system. There is a lot of hardship in these people’s lives, but also hope; they always find the positive and have gratitude.
This gives me a little moment of gratitude as well. Because I got involved in this organization, someone’s difficult experience might be alleviated a little bit, through the comfort we are able to offer.
What would you like people to know about the House?
Volunteering here, it matters! Volunteerism and investing in others is what makes life fulfilling. It’s one of those things that propels the world in a better direction. Every single step you take matters. It’s not about fixing the situation, but about giving families moments: a meal, or the ability to relax and unwind.
What do you do when you’re not volunteering?
I work for the City of Surrey and Township of Langley in parks and recreation, which is very active and kid-focused. I love to exercise, cook, and be outside. I’m also preparing for the Miss Universe Canada pageant in July, which will be my first time competing!