VFR's Top 10 Volunteers of 2022
Tim King
I’m currently retired, and my partner and I spend lots of our time traveling. When we are not on the move, my wife does some part-time work, and I spend part of my time with VFR. I typically take larger, truck-size donations, but I do smaller runs close to home as well - I love to help out where needed. This upcoming Christmas season, we will be traveling throughout Costa Rica, and visiting with friends down there.
I sincerely hope that everyone gets some great quality time with family and friends, and enjoys the holiday season.
Garry Shearer
I've enjoyed working with the VFR team and many of the food donors and nonprofits since signing on with VFR in January. I really feel like I'm contributing to reduce food security issues while helping our environment by removing CO2 caused by food waste. One of my motivations for working with VFR is to figure out how to bring this food recovery model to Delta to help my local community improve their food security.
Along with my fellow Rotarians, this holiday season, I will be delivering hampers (provided by Deltassist) to over 500 families in Delta.
Ann Moore
My Christmas centres around my family, and I am so grateful I have most of them here: two children, their husbands, and a total of five grandchildren. As my son lives in the Dominican Republic with his family, we will be in touch on WhatsApp.
Here, one son-in-law makes Christmas brunch, the other does Christmas dinner, and I have everyone to my home on New Year’s Day. I will also continue with my other volunteer work, and I work as a wedding commissioner, over the holidays.
Holly Liu
My name is Holly, and I have two sons that I'm very proud of. I love Vancouver and the community I live in, so after retirement, I decided to do what I can for what I love by volunteering with Vancouver Food Runners.
As Christmas is approaching, we will be preparing gifts and Christmas dinners, as we do every year. I'm looking forward to gathering with my sons and relatives this holiday season. Hiking on snowy mountains is also a very exciting seasonal activity! Merry Christmas & happy holidays to everyone!
Enzo Federico
I’m a retired IT professional who loves to spend time in the great outdoors – biking, hiking, skiing, and more. I recently came back from a vacation to the American Southwest that included my 7th visit to the Grand Canyon. The accompanying picture is of me at Plateau Point, about halfway into the Canyon overlooking the Colorado River below.
I’ve been a Food Rescue Hero with VFR for over 2 years now. I usually have a weekly food rescue and pick up some additional ad-hoc ones. I will look to pick up additional rescues over the holiday season on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, as I know the need is always there. I also plan to spend time with close friends and family. If the weather permits, a number of my cycling friends will get together to ring in the New Year with a 50 km bike ride along the streets of Vancouver and the North Shore. It is a tradition that we started over a decade ago. After the ride, we carry on with the festivities at a local Craft Brewery where we talk about our plans for the upcoming year.
Raul & Raquel
We have been volunteering regularly with VFR since April 2021 and enjoy the routine of our many weekly food rescues. Sometimes we volunteer together, other times each on our own. We love helping our community. As we get older, it feels good to get up and do something nice and helpful!
Elaine Perry
When I “retired” from my meaningful, busy job more than ten years ago in my mid-sixties, I soon became aware that, for me to thrive and live well, I would need to replace work with other activities that had purpose and offered connection with people. One of the most satisfying and practical of those has been volunteering with VFR. I’m privileged to own a small (but amazingly capacious!) vehicle, and having flexible time gives me the chance to respond in a small way to the food waste and food insecurity realities that so many of our neighbours live with.
The holiday season for me is a mix of quiet, contemplative times with music and reading in our little Kitsilano condo, church services, and socializing with friends and family. I look forward to our traditional holiday foods: my dear, late Mom’s famous tuna dip, my soon-to-be-famous rosemary shortbread and, this year, a traditional Canadian turkey dinner with homemade cranberry sauce.
Anna, Maddie & Hailey
We have been volunteering with Vancouver Food Runners since the early days of the pandemic. The kids were home from school and, with extra time on our hands, we sought ways to support neighbours who were left food insecure as a result of the pandemic. We’re honoured to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause.
This holiday season, we look forward to gathering with our extended families. We really missed doing that over the last couple of years. We’ll have a traditional turkey dinner and enjoy Grandma’s much beloved pumpkin pie. We also plan to see the Lights at Lafarge, Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt, the Christmas display at Canada Place and hopefully get in some skiing, snowshoeing, plus a few food rescues.
Jinny Kwon
Over the holidays, I look forward to family time again, as usual. I'm planning to take a few weeks off in December, this time to visit my extended family, as we were not able to meet up over the last few years. I look forward to attending Christmas Glow Langley with my nieces – it is a special way to celebrate Christmas together in Vancouver.
Over the last couple of years, I have enjoyed the rewarding and meaningful work I’ve been doing with VFR. I like contributing back to the community — a community that has showed me kindness and warmth since moving here some time ago.
Christine Burke
I am recently retired with time to enjoy so many favourite activities — reading, baking, swimming, walking, and many North Shore hikes with best mate, Lola!
Christmas is truly my favourite time of year. We always make time for an evening of driving by the many homes fully decked out with lights and displays; no better way to get into the Christmas spirit. With our daughter now grown, we do not exchange gifts anymore, but make donations to our favourite charities instead. We are ever mindful that there are many people in this city who are not as privileged as us.
Together, we do make a difference.
Be the first to read our E-newsletter
Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter that arrives to your email inbox every other Saturday!