What started with candy-grams for civic employees has blossomed into widespread acts of kindness in the Tri-Cities by members of a newly chartered youth service club.
Rotaract, an offshoot of well-rooted Rotary International, attracts people aged 18 to 30 years who are passionate about spreading positive change in their communities. Rotaract chapters exist around the world and elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.
In the fall of 2011, three local students set out to secure one of these youth philanthropy clubs for the Tri-Cities - but, first, they had to prove they were serious about committing the time and energy required for Rotaract.
Kimberley Chong, 21, championed the endeavour after experiencing a volunteering void in her life. Her friend, Janelle Lee, concurred.
"I kind of realized volunteering opportunities were harder to find after high school," said Lee, 18.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Boey and Emiko Newman, both 19 years old, were also well versed in philanthropy and searching for new opportunities. Newman perennially raises money for an orphanage in Africa and Boey helped organize a fashion show in high school that brought in $5,000 for a non-profit organization in Sierra Leone.
Over the course of the past year, 22 altruistic young men and women have quietly donated their time for charitable projects in the Tri-Cities. They started off small, anonymously delivering chocolates to local businesses and city departments on Valentine's Day. The youths soon teamed up with Boyd Autobody and Glass in Coquitlam to put on a Tri-Cities' homeless dinner every month.
"We purchase all the food, prepare it and bring it in," explained Chong. "It's a really good experience, talking to the homeless."
Students at Coquitlam's Bramblewood elementary school, where Chong and her team have instituted the Reading Buddies program, are also beneficiaries of all this volunteering activity.
The group's hard work came to fruition last Saturday when the Tri-Cities' Rotaract Club, sponsored by the Port Moody Rotary Club, was officially chartered at a ceremony in Newport Village.
The other Tri-City Rotary clubs - Coquitlam Sunrise, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam-Centennial - also support Rotaract.
Port Moody Rotary president Al Stjernegaard said Tri-Cities Rotaract is driven by a need for young people to serve the community.
"[Rotary's] view is we would like them to find their own path and we will support them," he said.
Chong was named president of Tri-Cities Rotaract while Newman and Boey are chairs of the international service committee. They are already looking at organizing a benefit concert at Heritage Woods secondary for September to help support a village in Uganda.
"Our goal would be to help out anyway we can, both locally and globally," said Newman.
Being an arm of Rotary means those who join Rotaract will have an opportunity to participate in international study and work programs.
"We are looking for people that are passionate about helping others and creating change in their community," said Chong.
More information about the club is available at tricitiesrotaract.wordpress.com.
