Did you know?

More than 100 young leaders have graduated from the Youth Now program.

Each year, over 100 non-profit professionals attend our training opportunities.

Over two dozen non-profit organizations have participated in the Youth Now program.

The CCRR provides nearly 400 child care referrals per year.

On average, the CCRR hosts 30 workshops and training courses each year.

Every year, over 500 child care providers and parents attend CCRR training opportunities.

Every year, RCRG completes over 3,000 grocery orders for local seniors.

Nearly 300 seniors make use of our Better at Home services.

Our volunteer drivers complete more than 1,200 trips annually.

At least 350 people per year find a volunteer position using our Volunteer Match program.

Close to 500 volunteers support RCRG’s programs and services.

Volunteers contribute nearly 23,000 hours to our organization each year.

Each holiday season, the Richmond Christmas Fund helps more than 2,200 low-income residents.

Every year, the Christmas Fund provides over 600 children with toys, books, and sports equipment.

The Richmond Christmas Fund was first started by Ethel Tibbits, in the 1930s.

The number of Neighbourhood Small Grants we’ve awarded has increased every year since 2014.

Block parties are the most popular type of Neighbourhood Small Grant project.

Every year, the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre serves over 7,300 local women.

The Richmond Women’s Resource Centre currently offers 16 programs and services.

Nearly 60 volunteers support the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre, contributing nearly 2,500 hours per year.

Richmond is home to over 350 registered charities, all of which rely on volunteer support.

There are nearly 13 million volunteers across Canada.

International Volunteer Day is celebrated throughout the world on December 5.

There are 35 volunteer centres in British Columbia.

In 2016, the Foundation awarded 10 grants to non-profit organizations, worth a combined $59,000.

The Foundation manages $6 million in 60 Forever Funds, returning, on average, CPI plus 4%.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Foundation distributed $656,000 in grants, scholarships, charitable disbursements, and Emergency Community Support Funds.

Foundation activities result in the enhancement of our community and residents’ sense of belonging.

ROCA has raised over $21,000 for local charities.

ROCA has performed its Elementary School Concert Series to over 8,000 students.

ROCA provides mentoring and life changing opportunities for aspiring musicians.

The Richmond Arts Coalition was founded in November of 2005.

RAC co-produces the ArtRich exhibition every two years!

RAC highlights Richmond's arts events in a monthly email.

The Richmond Music School is the oldest not-for-profit music school in Richmond.

The Richmond Music School offers affordable music lessons through its diverse programming.

Our students performed 40 hours of music to welcome the Olympic athletes to the 2010 Olympic Games.

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A Guide to Group Volunteering

Published June 07, 2017

At RCRG, we often receive requests, especially from businesses, about group volunteer opportunities. Which makes perfect sense: we are, after all, Richmond’s volunteer centre, and our community is filled with awesome caring companies that want to give back. Of course they’d come to us looking for ways to get involved! Now, thanks to our volunteer writer, Amanda Oye, we have a definitive list of some of the best and most rewarding group volunteer opportunities Richmond has to offer. Read on to find out how you and your colleagues – or family members, teammates, friends, etc. – can volunteer, and make an impact, together.

If you’re reading this article, you already know how essential volunteering is to communities, and how much businesses stand to gain from using group volunteerism as a team building activity. What you might not know is how to find the perfect place for your team. Luckily, Richmond has a treasure trove of group volunteer opportunities that are sure to spark passion in and inspire everyone.

To start, the Richmond Food Bank offers food-lovers a chance to help make sure that all Richmond residents have access to nutritious things to eat. Volunteering means assisting with tasks such as distributing produce, checking dates and sorting items, providing people with community information, and conducting nutrition demonstrations. By helping out the Food Bank, your team will be a part of making its vision of “A caring community where no one goes hungry” come true. For more information, you can visit the Food Bank’s website at www.richmondfoodbank.org, send them an email at info@richmondfoodbank.org, or call them at 604-271-5609.

If food is your team’s passion, but you also want to get some fresh air, The Sharing Farm is always looking for people to get their hands dirty. Tasks include moving compost to fields, seeding and transplanting, weeding, harvesting, washing, and packing and removing dead plants. Fans of the farm’s annual Garlic Festival will be especially excited to know that they also need help with garlic planting, harvesting, and braiding. The food that they grow is distributed around the city, to places such as the Richmond Food Bank, and is used at community meals. The farm offers volunteer opportunities from April to October. More information about The Sharing Farm can be found on their website at www.sharingfarm.com, or you can contact them at info@sharingfarm.ca or 604-227-6210.

If your team loves nature the Richmond Nature Park Society is a great place to volunteer. They are looking for groups to help out on either single projects or on an ongoing basis. Tasks include assisting with maintenance and conservation projects, and assisting with cutting and removing invasive shrubs, such as blackberry bushes. Like The Sharing Farm, the Nature Park has volunteer opportunities from April to October. There are a few things to keep in mind: first, nesting season for birds causes a degree of difficulty; second, work is done outdoors so expect to get dirty; and third, there are more staff available on weekdays, which makes it easier to accommodate volunteer groups. If you’d like more information, you can visit the Nature Park’s website at www.richmond.ca/naturepark, or contact Kris Bauder by email at kbauder@richmond.ca or by phone at 604-718-6188.

Teams that love wildlife should jump at the chance to volunteer with Iona Beach Regional Park. Described on metrovancouver.org as “a mecca for thousands of migrating birds,” Iona Beach Regional Park is a popular place for animals and people alike. Help is needed to clear the park from invasive species such as Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry. If you are interested in finding out more, you can visit their website at www.metrovancouver.org/services/parks/parks-greenways-reserves/iona-beach-regional-park, or contact Roy Teo, the stewardship technician, by email at Roy.teo@metrovancouver.org or by phone at 604-530-4983.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is another great outdoor opportunity, and they look for volunteers year-round. The Vancouver Aquarium and WWF Canada came together to organize this initiative to clean up our shorelines. The program gives you the option of being a site coordinator and leading a cleanup, or joining an existing cleanup group. If you are interested in helping to rid our shorelines of litter, you can visit www.vanaqua.org/act/direct-action/great-canadian-shoreline-cleanup and shorelinecleanup.ca/index.php, or you can contact them by sending an email to shorelinecleanup@vanaqua.org or calling 1-877-427-2422.